Beijing, China – in a city that’s more than 3,000 years old, time is measured on a different scale, compared to the relative youth of Singapore, at least. At the entrance of the Waldorf Astoria Beijing where I stayed on a recent trip, two majestic, heritage Sophora japonica trees – commonly known as Japanese pagoda or Chinese scholar trees – stood sentinel.
One was marked 310 years old, the other, 110. To think of the immense changes that they must have borne witness to as the world’s second most powerful economy came into being: The rise and fall of the Qing dynasty; the establishment of the Republic of China; the Cultural Revolution.
Against this backdrop, it’s perhaps fitting that clocks are a defining feature of Waldorf Astoria properties. The original Waldorf Astoria New York property on 34th Street (where the Empire Building now stands) boasted a grandfather clock purchased by business magnate and real estate developer John Jacob Astor IV.
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Since then, clocks have been a mainstay in Waldorf Astoria hotel lobbies, acting as convenient meeting points for guests. The one in Beijing is a strikingly modern, deconstructed version of the New York original. Designed and crafted by Chinese artisans, it features a 2m-tall transparent clockwork mechanism that appears weightlessly suspended in mid-air.
It’s also fitting that I’m in town to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Beijing property – though 10 years is a mere drop in the ocean considering the property’s location, just a stone’s throw away from the 600-year-old Forbidden City. The 176-key hotel was conceived as a contemporary reinterpretation of the former imperial palace.
Photo by Aaron de Silva
Designed by Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, the guest rooms offer modern Western layouts that are overlaid with Chinese elements. Think Chinoiserie patterned silk-panelled walls, lacquered furniture, and artworks created by Chinese artists.
For visitors seeking an extra-special, quintessentially Beijing experience, a stay in one of two Hutong Villas is a must. These spacious, two-storey courtyard residences are equipped with a pool and 16-seat cinema. During my stay, one of the Villas was converted into the venue for the lavish 10th anniversary gala dinner.
A Country in Transition
When I meet with the hotel’s General Manager, Christina Yang, and Candice D’Cruz, the Vice President of Luxury Brands at Hilton, Asia Pacific, I take the opportunity to ask them about the changes in the luxury travel market in Beijing and the mainland in the post-Covid landscape, amid the country’s slowing growth.
According to a recent report in CNBC, the Chinese economy is undergoing a slow and difficult adjustment phase. Another report by the VoA points to the rise in foreign visitor numbers, but highlights that overall numbers are down compared to pre-Covid times. Yang notes the challenges due to the general economic climate in China, though she remains optimistic about the luxury segment.
“If we’re talking purely about the luxury market, [I’ve noticed] a very positive trend,” she says. “We can see that guests are willing to spend more to explore something different. But that also means they expect more from the hotel.” The hotel employs a personal concierge team to tailor guest journeys, providing detailed itineraries and local experiences.
(Related: Candice D'Cruz, Vice President of Luxury Brands for Asia Pacific, Hilton Talks About the New Rules of Luxury Travel)
VIPs and guests at the Waldorf Astoria Beijing 10th anniversary gala dinner
Yang and D’Cruz point out that in the past, holidaymakers typically sought out a destination before selecting a hotel; these days, the opposite is true. “As travellers look at travel plans around the world, they want the hotel to be a destination,” explains D’Cruz. “They want the hotel to go beyond hotel rooms and just breakfast or meals. They need it to be a destination that offers an experience on its own.”
To that end, the hotel has devised a pipeline of initiatives based around art and fashion. As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, for example, the hotel is staging a solo exhibition by contemporary Chinese artist Ling Jian, best known for his works featuring portraits of Chinese women in surreal, pseudo-sexual environments. The exhibition, titled Remount to Decade, opened on 10 September 2024 – the evening of the hotel’s anniversary gala dinner – and runs until 10 December 2024.
Zijin Mansion
Peacock Alley, the hotel's lobby bar
Aside from having a one-Michelin-star restaurant – Zijin Mansion – on-property, partnerships are playing an increasingly important role for the hotel as well. Two recent and notable examples are tie-ups with haute skincare label La Mer and cult plush toy brand Jellycat. Their products were placed in selected guest rooms for guests to discover and enjoy. It was a win-win situation, says D’Cruz. “It gave our loyalists a new experience with these partners, but at the same time, the brands were getting exposed to new [potential customers].”
At present, 75 percent of hotel guests are domestic. Among the foreigners, Russians, Britons, and Hong Kongers dominate. Singaporeans are among the top 10. The hotel plans to attract more international guests, a move aided by the Chinese government’s measures to boost tourism, among them visa-free policies.
Singapore is one of the countries to have benefitted from this visa-free arrangement, which came into effect in February 2024. According to Chan Brothers Travel, bookings to Beijing more than doubled compared to 2019; similarly, Expedia’s Fall Travel Trends Outlook showed an increasing demand for cities in China. In terms of search data on flight and lodging for travel between September and November 2024, Beijing increased by 206 percent.
Beyond China, the demand for travel in Asia-Pacific is showing steady growth. This bodes well for the Waldorf Astoria brand, which is rapidly expanding its footprint in the region. D’Cruz says that the brand will double its portfolio over the next few years, with Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Shanghai Qiantan, Sydney, and Tokyo Nihonbashi being key openings. These additions will no doubt bring Waldorf Astoria’s signature elegance to even more corners of the world.
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