Hotel Review: JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central (Executive Suite) - Fantastic Service and Walking Distance to Key Attractions

Beijing is one of my favourite cities in China and if you are thinking about redeeming some of your KrisFlyer miles, a one-way flight between Singapore and Beijing in Suites will set you back only 53,000 miles. My usual ritual at the airport involves dropping by TGM in Terminal 2 for a meal before heading to the SilverKris Lounge for some proper Champagne. However, since I have been on the old Suites quite a number of times, I have decided to save some of my miles and went ahead with a Business Class redemption instead of just 39,000 miles one-way.

Click HERE to check out my Beijing travel guide for a first-time visitor!

Singapore Airlines Business Class

SQ802 (SIN-PEK)

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While I really did enjoy my stay at the Conrad Beijing in an Executive Suite a couple of years ago, I really needed the nights to retain my Platinum Elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program. It is always a good idea to check out the redemption rates when you are in China and I have found award redemption stays here to be fairly attractive (due to a high room rate and low hotel category). Back in September 2019, Marriott Bonvoy introduced peak and off-peak rates for redemption stays but you can still get plenty of value if you are combining this with the fifth night free offer. Therefore, for this visit, I have decided to redeem some of my Marriott Bonvoy points for a stay at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central - 5 nights for just 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points is an absolute steal!

Living Room
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

There are two JW Marriott properties in Beijing and the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central is comparatively newer - opened back in 2014, this new flagship property is within walking distance to famous attractions like Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. For those of you who prefer to get around on the subway, the nearest train station is Xuanwumen and it is located approximately 450m away. Even though my redemption was for an entry-level Deluxe Room, I received a complimentary upgrade into the Executive Suite (sometimes known as the VIP Suite) for the whole duration of my stay as a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member. The Executive Suite here at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central measures 63-93 sqm in size and the one that I have gotten assigned to during my stay was definitely on the higher end of this scale. It goes without saying that Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite and higher tier members will get to enjoy complimentary access to the Executive Lounge which serves continental breakfast, afternoon tea as well as evening cocktails and canapés (but more on this later). If you do not have any status with the Marriott Bonvoy program, booking the Executive Suite will give you access to the Executive Lounge on Level 15 as well.

Living Room
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

There is a powder room (half-bathroom) located near the main entrance of the Executive Suite and this is especially useful if you are planning to entertain guests. Unlike the JW Marriott Hotel South Beach (which really is an exception), the room design of the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central is fairly unexciting and it features a muted colour palette. The Executive Suite that I was assigned to also had a connecting door to another guest room (which was obviously locked during my stay since I had only one room) but I am not sure if all suites have this option.

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My welcome amenities here at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central included three bottles of craft beers from Baby IPA by Master Gao Brewing Co. of Nanjing, an elaborate trio of local snacks (with beautifully-calligraphy on the side) as well as a souvenir for me to take home. This is definitely a refreshing change from the usual fruit platter that I typically receive as an elite member so kudos to the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central team for making such a great impression.

Living Room
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

The living room of the Executive Suite is quite sizeable and there is plenty of space for you and your guests to hang out. If you are here for work or simply need to get some things done, there is a large work desk located by the window so you can enjoy some natural daylight. You will also be able to charge your devices using one of the universal power outlets located by the table. Do note that you will require some kind of VPN in order to access restricted sites like Google (including Gmail) as well as Facebook. Other than that, WiFi is complimentary for all hotel guests and the speeds are actually quite fast for local sites.

Coffee Machine
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Located in the living room of the Executive Suite is a small mini-bar area where you will find a Nespresso coffee machine as well as a selection of teabags. Unfortunately, the coffee capsules are not from Nespresso and they are provided by some in-house brand which did not taste especially good. There is also a water kettle as you would expect but do remember that water from the tap is not potable so make sure you use one of the water bottles located next to the minibar if you are planning on drinking.

Bedroom
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Located directly next to the living room is a huge bedroom that comes with a separate seating area, dressing table as well as another TV that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own bed. As mentioned earlier, the interiors of the Executive Suite are not exactly exciting but it is very comfortable (I wish the design was a lot more modern though). There are two large windows here in the bedroom but the suite that i have been assigned to looks out to an apartment across the road so I have actually left the curtains drawn for most of my stay.

Bedroom
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Located at the back of the bedroom is a walk-in wardrobe which is large enough for you to hang up at least 2 weeks worth of outfits (even if you are traveling with your partner or friend). This is also a great area for you to bring your luggages into and the safe can be found inside one of the drawers. Strangely, there are warning signs all over the walk-in wardrobe which deters you from standing on, or sitting on, any of the wardrobe surfaces. While I do not personally have any inclination to stand on these surfaces, the signs did scare me off a little when it comes to putting something heavy (like my suitcase) on them.

Bedroom
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

The Executive Suite here at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central comes with a plush and comfortable king-size bed. Light controls can be found on both sides of the bed and you will also be able to leave your mobile devices charging by utilising one of the universal power outlets located by the side. I did find the pillows to be rather soft for my liking but I did not manage to find any pillow menu (even after evening turndown has been completed) so I am not certain as to whether alternative pillows can be arranged. There is also a small seating area by the side of the bed but I have never actually sat there throughout my short stay since I rather be in the living room if I had to get things done.

Universal Power Outlets by the Bed
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

One thing that I really like about staying in Marriott properties is the ability to chat with someone over the the Marriott Bonvoy app - you do not have pick up the phone and most of my experiences with the properties using this feature have been impressive. In fact, I only remember one particular instance where my requests on the app were not fulfilled but that was another property outside of Beijing.

Fruit Basket
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

While the team has already arranged for a rather extensive welcome amenity in the living room, I realised that a fruit basket has been placed in the bedroom for me. Now I am not sure if you realise this but fruit baskets are seriously the best and most practical welcome amenity for me (well, that and a bottle of Champagne) - I absolutely love having fruits that are sourced locally and I have always found it a fun way to learn something about a country too.

Bathroom
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

The bathroom of the Executive Suite is large and it comes with a huge shower area (complete with a rain-shower head). Strangely enough, there was also another sign on the seat located in the shower which cautioned against sitting or standing on. I have been to a great of properties over the years and this was definitely the first time that I have seen warnings placed in such a blatant way. In spite of its size, the bathroom comes with only one sink so if you are sharing the suite, one of you might have to go out to the powder room instead.

Bathroom
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Located on the other side of the bathroom is a bathtub as well as toilet (so there are actually 1.5 bathrooms here in the Executive Suite). Fortunately, no warning signs were placed in the tub so one can actually enjoy a nice soak inside without having to worry about any potential danger.

Bath Amenities from Aromatherapy Associates
Executive Suite - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Bath amenities are provided by Aromatherapy Associates and since this is a suite, you will realised that the amenities are larger in size. The housekeeping team was also very generous in replenishing these products throughout my stay so I did not feel as though I had to save on them or to make them last (another perk of staying in a hotel versus an Airbnb!).

Evening Drinks and Canapés
Executive Lounge - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Located on Level 15, the Executive Lounge of the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central can be accessed by hotel guests who are staying in an Executive Room or higher. However, if you hold Platinum Elite or higher status in the Marriott Bonvoy program, you will get to access this exclusive area regardless of the room that you have booked yourself into. There is a nice selection of food here in the lounge during the evening cocktail hours and what I really do appreciate is a rotating ‘live’ station in the lounge - on all five nights that I have been there, the ‘live’ station was different and this is actually really important for business travellers who are here for a long stay. There is a small selection of wine and spirits but most of them are not premium labels - if you prefer, canned beer (which seemed to be the preferred choice of beverage amongst local guests) can be found inside the refrigerator.

Buffet Breakfast
Executive Lounge - JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central

Honestly, one of the most impressive aspects of my stay at the JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central is the level of service that I have experienced at JW Kitchen each morning. While I have been to many 5-star properties in the region that have a much higher price point as compared to this property, the team here at the JW Kitchen has been exceptional. Not only were they friendly, courteous and incredibly-quick on their feet, they have also made it a point to not only remember what my coffee orders were the previous day but also my juice preferences as well as required cutleries. You will find a huge breakfast spread here and I highly recommend that you drop by even if you plan on eating something else outside - I really like range of food here in the morning as you will be able to enjoy local dishes like ‘jianbing’ and delicious noodles that are cooked a la minute.

JW Marriott Hotel Beijing Central
18 Xuanwai Street Xicheng District, Beijing, China, 118305
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