A room with an excellent view
The Great Wall of China is just one of the splendid views from a hotel in Water Town,
The place
Beijing W Town Hotel, Gubeikou, Water Town.
Location
The hotel is in Gubeikou Water Town, two hours drive north-east of Beijing, at the foot of the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China.
The space
The 2-year-old hotel is palatial, with high ceilings and polished marble floors. Built with elements of feng shui in mind, including a huge water feature complete with carp to balance the energy, the vast entrance leads up to levels of conference spaces, mirrored karaoke clubs, a chess room and a massive indoor swimming pool.
Room
Walking in to my lead-in superior room – the air conditioning is set to an ideal temperature. There are two huge single beds – both hard, as they tend to come in China – but my back prefers it that way. The sheets are clean and crisp while the two pillows are well puffed, or check out the pillow menu (in Mandarin) if you want to mix it up. From my room I can see a portion of the Great Wall of China lit up and lining the top of the rugged mountains like wildfire, a highlight worth trying to request if you’re staying here.
There’s a large desk with luxury leather chair for corporate types, a reading seat for chilling out and a flat screen TV with mostly Chinese channels, but a handful of English offerings. Power points accept New Zealand plugs, though not all seem to work so some playing around is required.
The bathroom is huge, with fluffy towels, robes and, as the locals say, towelling ‘‘sandals’’. The bed/bath adjoining wall is glass, so you can fill the generous tub, add bubbles and relax with a view if you so wish. The corner shower is big with a handheld or ‘‘monsoon’’ head.
The service is friendly despite language barriers, but there are enough English-speaking staff on hand that tourists should feel easily catered for.
Stepping out
If you’re planning a visit to the Great Wall, the W Town Hotel is spot on. There are sections of the Wall that are walking distance, or arrange a tour from here as we did, to get the best access to the Great Wonder for sunset or daily tramps.
The hotel is on the fringe of Water Town, a quaint replica of an ancient village close to Shanghai, known locally as Blacktown. Access to the village is included with your hotel stay, but you will have to give a fingerprint on entry. A romantic riverside night wonder here is a must. There’s plenty of eating options, however many menus are in Mandarin so you may have to play charades. Boats cruise up and down the river, or by foot explore the bridges, arches, nooks and crannies of this impressively constructed area.
Verdict
The hotel is very impressive and the location excellent for day or night exploration and photo opportunities.
Essentials
Beijing W Hotel prices start from $158 for a superior room, all prices are subject to availability and season. Full buffet breakfast from $22 per person. There’s no main site for the hotel, but bookings can be made through tour operators and bookings.com.
Highlight
The location – wandering around Water Town by night ahead of an early morning trek on the Great Wall should be on your Beijing bucket list.
Lowlight
The place is so big we got lost finding our room several times in this rabbit warren, with some hard-to-navigate signage.
From my room I can see a portion of the Great Wall of China lit up and lining the top of the rugged mountains like wildfire.