I stay in Beijing about 3 times a month and have become a creature of habit, always staying at the China World because I know what I'm going to get and don't have to worry about how to get to my office. I was fairly reluctant therefore to be switched to the Fairmont, but actually everything was a pleasant surprise. Not as large or opulent as the China World, and much quieter, but all the amenities are more modern - wifi in the rooms (take note China World!), iPod dock, comfy bed, lovely bathroom (including a TV if that's your thing). The staff was lovely and almost too excited to see me. Healthclub/pool good quality and up on a high floor so you can get the view while you're working out. Room service dining not as extensive as China World would be my only criticism. And not on top of a luxury mall. But I'll choose to stay here again.

The Fairmont hotel is a top notch hotel.

Location: The hotel is located close to the subway but not on the main street, which is very important if you are trying to get over jet lag or like to sleep in during your vacation. The fairmont is located 5 mins walk from the subway station, 6-7 mins away from the silk market (fake market), and 20-30 CNY away from almost any part of the town. 20 CNY to Guai road, the prime location for all local restaurants.

Hotel: The floors are heated which is very important during harsh cold winters of Beijing. The rooms are very spacious, the toilets are Japanese style seats (big plus+++), the lighting is abundant, and the natural light is good, and view depending on the side you get. The hotel bedding is all silk (silk comforters, not outside but inside, and pillows) +++. the hotel gym is very nice, it has a steam sauna, all major equipment, and a competent staff that hands you water or towels as soon as yours depletes or soils.

the food: the hotel food is ok. I only had the morning breakfast (because my company paid for it) and it was good. The selection was good but nothing really special. No idea if the CUT was any good or not. I would recommend the morning breakfast to try out the local push carts. there are some alleys with little push carts that serve chinese morning pancakes and some meat buns...which is tastes much better but cannot promise if it is safe (I had no problems)...I had free breakfast at the hotel and I chose to go to the alley 4 out of 7 days.

Service: the service from the fairmont is outstanding. There is nothing too much for this super staff of receptionists, concierges, room service, and wait staff.

Overall: This is one of my favorite 5 star hotel in the world.

I stayed in the Fairmont Beijing last week and enjoyed it a lot. The lobby feels small as the hotel sits on a small land footprint--in contrast to other, grander hotels in Beijing with huge lobbies. This also makes the lobby bar (which disappointingly closes at 11 pm) feel a bit small. In any case, I stayed in a gold room and it was impressive--lots of space and very convenient for working. Beijing was freezing cold during my visit, and while I thought that the heated floors in the room were silly at first, I actually found myself really enjoying them by the end of my stay. Despite having lived in Asia for many years, I still do find the electronic toilet seats ridiculous and could have done without them--I felt like Captain Kirk at the helm of the Starship Enterprise every time I had to do my business!

The gym was excellent and the swimming pool was nice. Food at the breakfast buffet was pretty good--the spread was a bit on the small side for a 5-star hotel but the food was good--not spectacular, but good. Same with a room service club sandwich that I ordered.

There were a couple of small hiccups during my stay--the toilet wasn't working when I arrived (despite all of the fancy electronics!) for example, but this was quickly fixed. What I liked most about the hotel was the friendly staff--they were very warm and welcoming and this made a real difference to me. In addition, I found the hotel to be very convenient and centrally located. All in all, a good hotel and I'll be back.

I stayed as part of an official (and thoroughly jet-lagged) delegation at the Fairmont and was pleased with the solidly built hotel, the friendly staff and the quiet rooms. Even though the hotel is close to Beijing's main east-west highway there is no noise in the rooms apart from the fans. There were a couple of problems - the heated floors in the entrance corridor and bathroom were so hot that they started to burn the soles of my feet. They cannot be controlled by guests so I had to call an engineer at 10:30 pm to pull out the relevant fuse. The light switches are excessively complicated and in desperation, I had to pull the plugs out of both bedside lamps because they simply would not turn off, no matter which buttons I pushed. This is a minor complaint though about a first rate hotel.