Following an extensive renovation worth around $170 million which commenced in late 2015, The Peninsula Beijing is ready to welcome guests to its new rooms and suites from 1 September, with full completion expected in early 2017.
History
Located in central Beijing, just a short walk from bustling Tiananmen Square and many of the city’s historic cultural attractions, The Peninsula Beijing has been welcoming the world to China’s capital for more than a quarter of a century.
The “imperial rebirth” of The Peninsula Beijing marks a new beginning for its parent company Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
Inspiration
Drawing inspiration from China’s beautiful landscapes, opulent palaces and gardens, history, culture and art, the refurbishment has in large part been a collaboration of some of the country’s finest artists, commissioned to work with timeless luxury materials to evoke an authentic sense of the destination.
The lobby has been reconfigured into a grand three-storey lobby, featuring luxurious materials such as bronze, onyx, white marble and rosewood, as a nod to Beijing’s opulent heritage and modern transformation, providing a refined sense of the destination upon entering through the traditional “pailou” Chinese archway, originally reserved for royalty to pass beneath.
Accommodation
With guest comfort and convenience the focus of the reconstruction, The Peninsula Beijing’s original 525 rooms and suites have been reduced to 230 suite-style rooms, with the hotel now offering the largest and most spacious rooms in Beijing. At an average of 65 square metres, each room features a separate bedroom, living room, bathroom and dressing room, while in-room technology offers complimentary VOIP calls and WiFi, and hotel and city information and services just a click away in 11 languages.
A collection of 61 luxury suites feature inspired designed and technological innovation, with suite themes including The Peninsula Suite, styled after a Chinese aristocrat’s home, and the Loft collection of duplex rooms offering a stylish and sophisticated take on urban living with floor-to-ceiling windows offering expansive city views from the upstairs master bedroom and entry lobby and living area downstairs.
Meanwhile, at 165 square metres, the 17 Beijing Suites offer a residential-style space with large living and dining area, a cinema room, and private dressing room adjoining the master bedroom. These suites offer exceptional comfort and privacy, making them ideal for families and groups.
Art
Art-focused, the hotel has partnered with art museums, galleries and private collectors to showcase the very best of Chinese art by established and emerging artists. The hotel’s museum-quality collection features 10,000 pieces of art, including specially commissioned paintings, sculptures and installations, creating an immersive experience for guests.
Meanwhile, The Peninsula Beijing’s Art Residency programme will see an aspiring artist live and work in the purpose-built studio and guestroom for three months, with artworks they create exhibited in a gallery on the third floor. The first of its kind, the programme also invites guests to visit the studio to see the artist at work, and attend exclusive art dinners and themed events.
Further exclusive art immersion experiences will be available through The Peninsula Academy’s exclusive art tour experiences, while the new “Keys to the City” programme offers the best tables at fine restaurants, front-row seats to the opera, and out-of-hours guest visits to the most exclusive art galleries, and afternoon tea experiences.
Dining
Sustainability and high-quality produce is at the heart of The Peninsula Beijing’s culinary philosophy, and the hotel works with 22 fully certified farms in China and cultivates herbs for many of its signature recipes from its own onsite greenhouse.
The hotel boats four newly styled restaurants and lounges, including key addition, the new Lobby restaurant, serving a selection of international favourites as well as the celebrated Peninsula Afternoon Tea.
The hotel’s international restaurant, Jing, has been reimagined as a contemporary farm-to-table venue, with Spanish chef Alberto Becerril combing inventive seasonal flavour and texture combinations with organic produce.
Signature Chinese restaurant Huang Ting’s brand new menu offers Cantonese cuisine enhanced with fresh, seasonal ingredients, and features a Tea Lounge. Styled like an ancient palace with Ming Dynasty-era tables and parasols, it offers more than 50 varieties of premium Chinese teas and sweet dim sum, with the resident tea master leading traditional Chinese tea ceremonies.
Service
Understanding that time is a precious commodity to today’s traveller, the hotel offers a 24-hour check-in and check-out service to all guests without extra cost, with the seamless process personally managed in each guest room without the need to wait at reception.
Catering to travelling families, the hotel has expanded its family programme with an exclusive partnership with Norwegian baby brand Stokke, offering a range of furniture and baby gear and products to make for a comfortable stay for families.
Meanwhile, the enhanced Peninsula Academy programmes offer unique ways to explore the destination and keep the whole family engaged.
Guests wishing the relax and rejuvenate can indulge in The Peninsula Spa and Fitness Centre where qualified physiotherapist uses elements of traditional Chinese medicine and wellness philosophy to provide guests with personal fitness and health guidance.
The Peninsula Beijing is a proud member of Virtuoso, the travel industry’s leading luxury network. When you book through a Virtuoso advisor, you maximise the value of your travel experience by having access to exclusive features and benefits.
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