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The Peninsula Palace Hotel
The Palace Hotel, now the Peninsula Palace Beijing, is exactly what one expects from a Peninsula hotel in the Far East. This should not be taken to mean that a stay at the Palace is a predictable experience, in the way that the average chain hotel experience is canned and uninspiring; rather that a visitor here may rightly expect to encounter the extremely high standard of service for which the Peninsula hotels have become known. A foolish consistency may be, as Emerson said, the hobgoblin of little minds; but the brand of consistency practiced by the Peninsula is anything but foolish.
The Palace is just a short walk from Tiananmen Square, perhaps not such an auspicious location upon its opening in 1989. But in today's Beijing, the political (if not trade) capital of this most rapidly developing of nations, a business hotel could hardly ask for a better location - the Palace is right in the center of the city, surrounded by such landmarks as the Museum of Chinese History, the Great Hall of the People, and Mao's mausoleum. The bustling Chaoyang commercial district (home to many of the foreign embassies) is just to the east, and the major shopping districts are also close at hand.
The Peninsula Palace Beijing is a five-star hotel, of course - in fact, if "five-star" simply means that all conceivable amenities are accounted for, then this may as well be a six-star hotel. Everything in the guest rooms is entirely operable from the bedside control panel, including lighting, climate control, and the television (42" plasma screens, in certain rooms). And for those who need help deciding what to wear, another panel by the front door displays outside temperature and humidity.
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