Beijing Hotel Minsk

“Spacious room and peaceful location”

In the days leading up to my stay I had some good dialogue with the hotel, including prompt email responses and helpful advice. I took up the offer of the ‘business class’ transfer from the airport which worked really well. The main airport is some distance from the city but the driver was friendly… more

In the days leading up to my stay I had some good dialogue with the hotel, including prompt email responses and helpful advice. I took up the offer of the ‘business class’ transfer from the airport which worked really well. The main airport is some distance from the city but the driver was friendly and able to offer loads of advice on the hours’ journey. The car was good quality with bottled water provided. Despite being quite a bit more costly than a standard taxi it felt worthwhile, if only for the simplicity. Unfortunately upon arrival at the hotel there were no staff at the door to assist with luggage or point out the reception, which isn’t in the initial lobby area. The high ceilings and expansive open area was impressive though, as was the calmness of the whole place. The large water feature in the main lobby / bar area is great and is home to loads of fish which add colour and charm to the space. At the check in desks the staff could speak good English and the arrival process was easy. Given the expansive nature of the hotel, in hindsight, a more thorough overview of the facilities would have been appreciated, especially since the reception was practically empty when I arrived. My room was on the 7th floor, a standard double room. Although being the entry level room I was very impressed by the spaciousness and the balcony overlooking the front of the hotel. Although the balcony wasn’t large enough for any seats or table, and the view wasn’t too inspiring, it certainly made the room feel more high end than the basic option suggested. The desk in the room was large and housed some good stationary as well as the hotel directory. Some more information on the hotel’s restaurants would have been welcome within it though. The room was certainly very comfortable. The TV was a good size with BBC World News as the UK option and the air-conditioning worked well without being noisy. The bed was very large and incredibly comfortable with electric sockets on the bedside units, along with reading lights. In fact there was a lot of options for the lighting in the room which was great. The decor was a good mix of modern and traditional and I could easily have stated there for many nights with the storage offered. A big let down though was, despite being a five-star property, the mini bar was left empty. Phoning up from the room to have it filled was an awful task too - I ended up being put through to room service, who couldn’t speak English, and eventually had drinks brought open on a tray. Certainly the worst experience I’ve had in a hotel and I didn’t bother trying again. The bathroom was certainly the most impressive aspect of the room. Having a separate bath and shower room, both of which were huge, was great. There were plenty of plush towels provided along with loads of toiletries. The shower was a delight to use, coming hot quickly and having nice power and the view from the bath through the window to the room was great. The lobby bar was a lovely place to unwind with a drink and meal. For drinks it’s open 24x7 and on certain evenings there was a live singer which added a good atmosphere. A large screen inside and out shows live sport. The outdoor terrace was spacious and clean and food was served in good time. The menu has a good enough range and each item is reasonable value (except the steaks). The club sandwich was great but the burger was cooked extremely rare. There’s a good range of drinks available but the staff were inconsistent in providing nuts with orders. Checking out didn’t have the same positive experience as arrival - the member of staff seemed very unsure, not the best with English and it was a rather unprofessional experience. This was a shame because on the whole it had been a good stay. However the ordered taxi (which I was able to charge to the room) was duly waiting outside and the door staff ensured baggage was taken care of. If you’re looking for somewhere relaxing and quiet, yet still easily accessible in the city, I’d recommend here. It’s not in the heart of the action but that’s half its selling point. The walk to the centre is easy and takes around 15-20 minutes. Certainly for a nice room it wins although a few tweaks to the service would be good to meet the five-star expectation.

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“Dissapointment”

The place is overpriced. During a 4-night stay, the room was only cleaned once. The gym is open from 09:00 to 21:00—who goes to the gym after 09:00?! It should be open 24/7 like in true 5-star hotels. The gym equipment is poor quality. The food is not bad, but the threatening sign that says "DO NOT… more

The place is overpriced. During a 4-night stay, the room was only cleaned once. The gym is open from 09:00 to 21:00—who goes to the gym after 09:00?! It should be open 24/7 like in true 5-star hotels. The gym equipment is poor quality. The food is not bad, but the threatening sign that says "DO NOT TAKE FOOD, WATER, AND COFFEE" feels more appropriate for 2-star hotels.

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