It had been a very long journey to Beijing all the way from Montenegro. It all started with a flight to Moscow, a long layover, followed by another flight to Beijing. When we finally arrived at Sofitel Beijing Central we were exhausted, but far too excited for real Chinese food to actually think about sleeping in the middle of the day!
Walking into the bright warm lobby we were welcomed by Jasmine, the Guest Relations Manager, who helped us to get checked in early so we could drop all of our things into our room.
We are not ashamed to say that we didn’t even take a minute to sit down and instead just pulled on our thicker jackets so we could head out into the cold to find some real Chinese hotpot! As is happened there was a place just across the road and in just a few minutes we had a table full of vegetables, various mushrooms, and tofu. It was the perfect first thing to do on our first-ever trip to China, especially being the middle of winter!
After warming up on steaming hot soup and filling ourselves with tofu and mushrooms it was definitely time to head back to the hotel to relax!
Later in the evening, after we had relaxed and had a short sleep, we were invited to attend the hotels’ Christmas lights ceremony in the lobby bar. Canapés, a roast turkey, wine, champagne, and Christmas cocktails were all the perfect welcome to China!
Our Sofitel Room
Our room was no ordinary room, instead, we had a corner suite with floor-to-ceiling windows flooding the massive space with light and giving us panoramic views across the city. Next to the huge windows was Kach’s favourite part of any hotel we stay in – the king-size bed!
In the middle of the room was my favourite feature, the big round bathtub, which we used at least twice a day the whole time we were there! After a cold winter day exploring a new city, there is nothing like soaking in a steaming hot bath!
We also had everything you would expect from a 5-star hotel and more; widescreen tv, walk-in wardrobe, rainforest shower, lounge area, and a minibar/drinks area.
Hotel Facilities
We love a good swimming pool when we stay in a luxury hotel and Sofitel Central Beijing had an excellent one! More than long enough to swim laps for exercise and wide enough to never get in each others’ way. At night it was beautifully lit with a jacuzzi to one side and some big, comfortable lounge chairs to the other.
Within the changing rooms were another hot jacuzzi, a sauna, and a steam room.
There was also a really well-equipped gym and a spa which can provide massages and all kinds of treatments as well.
The Restaurants
We ate in both of the restaurants in Sofitel Central Beijing while we were there, both of which were incredible in their own way.
Kwee Zen is the hotels’ international cuisine restaurant and where most guests eat breakfast every day. We loved eating breakfast here because we could enjoy fantastic Asian and Chinese cuisine but still indulge in some of the western treats we enjoy at home!
L’Or by Yi Palace is the truly Chinese cuisine restaurant where chefs prepare local cuisine, Cantonese and northern Chinese delicacies. We decided to try their special Dim Sum lunch, where a huge choice of Chinese dumplings is made fresh to order. This was absolutely delicious and we have never tasted dim sum so fresh before!
The location
Located in the heart of Central Beijing, the location is perfect for everything from business trips to sightseeing!
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