CNBC Business | Hotel Reviews

Opposite House, Beijing  and St James’s Hotel, London

Opposite House, Beijing 

Location The sparkling centrepiece of a new 172,000m2 retail and leisure complex, The Village at Sanlitun, a €10 cab ride from the airport and a €3 cab ride to the Chaoyang business district or must-see diversions, such as the Forbidden City. Even cheaper is the metro, accessible from nearby Dongsishitiao Station. 

Ambience Each of The Opposite House’s fashionably designed restaurants and bars would impress style editors in any major city but the lobby is ‘do-I-sit-on-it-or-simply-admire-it?’ modern art gallery meets bank headquarters. Guests will undoubtedly be the most on-trend folks in Beijing but their luggage will make the lobby look untidy. 

Guestrooms Ninety-nine very comfortable rooms, in large or extra large (including one Tiananmen Square-sized penthouse), all white, with wooden floorings, LCD TVs, Denon DVD/CDs with iPod docks, rain showers and deep-oak soaking tubs. Comfortable beds, nice toiletries. 

Service There is no reception as such and check-in is on handheld gizmos. Ferociously perky English-speaking staff abound though, ever-ready to write down ‘destination cards’ for taxis and open doors. Check-in and check-out are highly flexible. 

Can I work here? Such a self-consciously rock ‘n’ roll hotel would be horrified to discover that its rooms are actually terrific for business travellers. All have superb airy working areas, a 747 control panel’s worth of international plugs and computer kit, cleverly integrated (perhaps too clever for the jetlagged) in desks; and laptops to borrow. There is also a Maserati-and-driver service should you need to impress associates. 

Can I live here? Mediterranean restaurant Sureño is the highpoint, while Bei, which ‘reinterprets’ Asian cuisine more than holds its own. Mesh is a contemporary city bar and Punk is one of the hottest clubs in Beijing. There is a 20-metre pool lined in striking stainless steel and illuminated with a ceiling of tiny lights, two spa treatment rooms and a well-appointed gym. 

Worth Noting Quiet rooms are at the back; the Chinese seem to honk horns throughout the night. 

+ 86 10 6417 6688; www.theoppositehouse.com

St James’s Hotel, London

Location The recently reopened and refurbished inaugural London property for ultra-exclusive German luxury group Althoff. Located in a wonderfully central yet secluded no-through road nestling between the Carlton Ritz in one direction and St James’s Palace in another. Best airport is Heathrow or Gatwick, the St James’s district being on the SW edge of central London (40 minutes/ €65 to Heathrow depending on traffic). 

Ambience Owners Mountain Capital spared no expense on a refurb executed by the same architects who did the Adlon in Berlin. Possibly the results are so Adlon-esque that the quintessentially raffish, English charm of the Pall Mall club has been traded for international excellence. But unless you’re there for the club (which has a separate room), this is all welcome. 

Guestrooms Sixty rooms of which two are penthouse suites, 27 ‘luxury’ and 15 ‘superior’. A Superior room starts at £345 (€395) while an extra £30 nets you the extra space of the Luxury. They have the most up-to-date and uncluttered tech offering we’ve seen – free wi-fi is complemented by iPod docks. Style is understated St James’s townhouse with sumptuous attention to mattress and linen quality in the sleeping department. 

Service In one word: German. Which in this case means better-than-English, and surprisingly informal. A combination that works for the property and the location. 

Can I work here? For refuseniks there’s a real computer in reception to hack away at. Desks allow for a reasonable work environment and the windows open. All good. But space is confined and the meeting rooms in the basement, despite clever use of skylights, feel cramped and subterranean. 

Can I live here? A private exit directly into St James’s park is the best excuse to go jogging, but a trip to the gym means using a different hotel across the road. The bar and restaurant are both first rate but cosy. Best-ever beds are complemented by the very quiet location. 

Worth Noting Dieter Müller’s Andaman restaurant is sensational, whether you opt for the tasting menu or the bangers and mash style ‘anytime menu’. No one frowns if you order fries. 

+44 (0) 20 7316 1600; www.stjameshotelandclub.com