We were cautious about staying at this hotel because of its location. Like other tourists I would have preferred to be in near Tiananmen Square but honestly, I much preferred the hotel's site, which is in the northeast part of the city near the embassies and fantastic shopping, western-style bars and great Chinese restaurants. The taxi ride in took 15 minutes and cost about 25RMB tops. The hotel is modern, with a helpful doorman and front desk staff. The rooms are standard Renaissance - tasteful, functional and subtly luxurious. The health club was big (subpar equipment) and the pool was gorgeous, the perfect post-flight refresher. As a Platinum member I got to use the club lounge, which was fantastic and included a generous breakfast. We didn't eat in the hotel restaurants at all (go and explore Beijing!). The only downside was no spa - just a sauna in the locker rooms.

Our room was large and very comfortable. The decor was most attractive with lovely woods and other nice detail. We thought the breakfast buffet was very good and had much variety. The dining room was sunny and small enough to feel homey. Service was excellent and friendly.

Great, comfortable hotel with good AAA discounts. Big, well-appointed room, clean spacious bathroom; friendly, English-speaking staff, and massage service in room and at the spa. Very nice, clean pool and well-furnished gym facility. Reliable, helpful staff helped us organize a half-day trip to the Great Wall with small bus tour (5 people total) and thorough guide "Mike" who spoke English well and told us fun, interesting facts about the culture and country as we visited. The tour cost us about $40 each and was well worth it. One down side to the hotel is the incredibly pricey breakfast... don't bother with it, go outside to the busy street and find something nearby, or if you are desperate, go next door to a small, but comfy Starbucks and have your American coffee fix or try a local specialty like a green tea latte. Great roast duck restaurant down the street for local cuisine at inexpensive rates. Nice intro to the culture and city, and easy to get to all the main places by taxi-- maximum 25 yuan -- about $3.50 from hotel to Tiananmen Square or Silk Market.

I stayed at the Renaissance for 8 nights in March. The hotel staff was great. If I called, I was always greeted by name. The hotel lounge band was excellent. I don't usually frequent hotel bars, but this band had me coming in every night (except Sunday when they are off).

The breakfast was pricey, which is my only real complaint about the hotel. It's also not central to the "tourist" areas but the couple of days we had for sightseeing were not spent in traffic.