We stayed in a suite (check the special offers they may have on their website) with breakfast buffet included. The room was lovely and well equipped. The fitness center is state of the art. The butler service sounds more impressive than it is -- do I really need someone to draw my bath? But service with or without butler is excellent.

There is absolutely nothing within walking distance of the hotel except the Friendship Store and the obligatory Starbucks and Haagen Dazs (two within walking distance of every five-star hotel we stayed in in China), but that is typical of most hotels in Beijing, which is spread out and not much of a walking city. (The Pennisula is one exception.)

The Beijing St. Regis is not a memorable hotel, but it is a lovely place to stay in Beijing.

Just returned from 4 night stay at the St Regis

Overall, I would give the hotel a 3.5 star rating, out of 5.

I thought our room was great as far as size goes, and the bathroom had large shower and soaker tub. Moreover, we always felt we were in a luxurious surroundings while at the hotel

As for the butler service, we called the night we arrived to have some ironing done but had to call repeatedly before someone came to our room. I suspect that this service is shared with other rooms.

The downside of the hotel is the food - one restaurant, Danieli, is voted one of the best Italian restaurants in Beijing and I thought the food was not bad, for Beijing but pricey. The other food that was served, either at the buffet or in room service was pretty lousy -

The gym is quite large but feels very retro, with 70s style cycles and elliptical machines.

Service was superb during our 6-day stay at the St. Regis, the concierge even offering to send a bellman to an all-night pharmacy to get some medication for one of us with the "Beijing cough". The spread for our included breakfast was magnificent, and included surely more than 100 items (although this is mainly for the eyes of those of us who limit breakfast food to the mundane). The rooms were large and well furnished, as befits a hotel in this price range, but the overall value causes us to lower our rating a bit. Internet access was way overpriced, but we would consider any significant charge for such service excessive at $400 a night for the room. The dining on the main floor was likewise exorbitant in relation to prices outside. Dinner for $30-40 seems reasonable in the States, but when you can have a magnificent 8-dish meal for $2 or $3 in a local restaurant, the ambiance at St. Regis is costly. Having said that, this is a great hotel to which we would probably return.

A warning to first time visitors to China: you will not believe the amount of pollution in the eastern third of the country. During our 22-day stay, visibility of one mile was unusual through the smog, and on 5 separate flights, we could never see the ground from the air after leaving the airports. On most days you could look directly at the sun at 10 in the morning, and you can forget seeing the stars at night. We suggest a trip in 2008 during the Olympic Games, during which we suspect the government will shut down all the polluting factories and power plants to impress the rest of the world.

Nice place where to stay: quiet, helpful staff, very comfortable rooms.

Didn't like the food. Internet in the business center is far too expensive.