Living Like A King: Presidential Suites In Beijing
Where did the King and Queen of Spain stay when they visited Beijing? They stayed in the presidential suite of one of Beijing's best-known hotels. Presidential suites are the very pinnacles of hotel accommodation, both in the figurative sense as the height-of-luxury and for the fact that they are generally on the higher floors of the hotel.
Presidential suites are the ultimate in accommodation of the top hotels in major cities around the world. They are designed to provide the comfort, privacy, and security required by a head of state. Presidential suites provide accommodation, not only for heads of state (George W. Bush and Tony Blair stay in one when they come to Beijing), but for captains of industry, celebrities from the world of show business, and private individuals who wish to be pampered with the very best a hotel can offer. Hotels do everything in their power to make the stay as comfortable as possible for their VIP guests and to make the stay as effortless as possible for these guests and their aides.
The China World Hotel, Beijing has two presidential suites named China Suite and Beijing Suite, respectively. With an airport limousine, express check out service, and 24-hour butler service, the suites aim to charm the discerning guest.
Stefan Bollhalder, general manager at the China World Hotel says, "The China Suite is decorated with fabric wall panels, luxurious furnishings and upholstery and features contemporary Asian art style. The rooms offer an oversized work desk with arm's-length access to IDD facilities and complimentary broadband Internet. The bathrooms have been re-done in white marble and offer separate bath and glass-enclosed showers. The China Suite has its own Jacuzzi, so after being refreshed in a perfect shower, please relax and make yourself comfortable in the Jacuzzi."
Many of these VIP guests will arrive by private aircraft and have official transport for the duration of their stay. However for those that do not, the hotel can provide the next best option. Guests can be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel by luxury car, which is then at their disposal to provide transport around the city. There is no waiting in the lobby to check-in as guests are whisked up to the presidential suite in a private elevator prior to the formalities being completed in the comfort of their own sitting room.
The facilities of a typical presidential suite are a microcosm of the hotel itself, with facilities such as a private kitchen, a gymnasium, a private library, business center, a home theater entertainment center, and a private sauna. A dining table for eight or more people enables the VIP to entertain guests in the suite to meals cooked by a private chef. And if the VIPs like to travel with their own music, an iPod docking station will enable them to enjoy their favorite tunes at any time.
The guest breakdown varies from hotel to hotel — one hotel in Beijing reports that 70% of the guests staying in its presidential suite are official delegates from overseas while another states that all its "presidential guests" are either corporate guests (e.g. CEOs of large companies) or FIT guests. However the overall breakdown is approximately 23% are official delegates from overseas, 31% are private FIT guests, and 56% are corporate guests. The breakdown for source markets is more consistent across all hotels with an overall breakdown of China 26%, other Asian countries 30%, and the rest of the world 44%.
