Commune by The Great Wall

Nica hotel in a great location - but there is a BID but for foreigners - almost nobody of the main hotel staff (reception, lobby bar, restaurant etc.) speaks more the VERY basic english. The minute you have a bit more complex problem, your are lost without smartphone translation support. This of course worksm but is tedious. The food choices at breakfast a good, but also somewhat limited for a 5* hotel. And again - communication is an issue, when can not even ask for the food you want. Another limitation was the fact, that the pool was closed with a smallest drop of rain (why - at 30C this is warm rain and I do not really care about rain, when I want to swim. ANd there is no Gym (at least I could not find one and this was already my 2nd stay in this hotel). On the plus side: Rooms a nice and big, everything was clean and well maintained.

Stayed here as a break with our 3-year old daughter. Very good quality rooms, good service. Beautiful surrounding. Sadly - although 30C during the day - pool didn’t open yet. Although there is something for kids, it misses a basic playground which could. Over the weekend many young parents and kids. Some percs are included.

Stayed 2 nights at the Commune by the Great Wall, an Unbound Collection by Hyatt. The resort is spread over a big acres of land within the Shuiguan area, also a short proximity to the renowned Badaling Great Wall. You have to reach there by car or by DiDi as there is no public transport to reach Commune. This is a resort for those who wishes to spend quality time, to seek refuge and to relax.  The resort was designed by 12 individual renowned architects, each reflects their own taste and styles, clearly demonstrated in the Communal Home you are staying.  Each Communal Home consists of 5-6 rooms where you share common spaces such as Living, Dining, Kitchen and Courtyard with other fellow travellers. You will still have your own room and private bathroom similar to any other hotels or resorts. With the Communal Home, you can access to these public area / communal area where often it is under utilised which is great for us. The room is immaculately adorned with the furniture styles of the Communal Home you have selected. There are Cantilever House (Red House), Terrace House, Suitcase House, Bamboo Wall, Forest House etc. My Bamboo Wall room is a little small in my opinion. The bedding is on a Tatami Platform. Bathroom is too big and it takes up too much space for the bedroom. There are limited spaces for the suitcase as we travel from afar. There is also no hook for clothing in the bathroom, no hook for the hand towel which is quite strange given that it is quite luxurious. We bought the package which includes daily breakfast for 2 with Shuiguan Great Wall Ticket and a High Tea.  There is an outdoor swimming pool within the hotel and a gym. The pool is only open for 3 months during the summer months, not sure why the restrictions even though it is not a heated pool. During my visit, day time was hot and the air temperature is around 26-28 degrees. Though the water temperature maybe way cooler, but if tge pool is opened, we will probably take a dip. The breakfast is either a la carte or buffet depending on the hotel's occupancy rate. We had the lunch and dinner at the hotel as well and the food is very good though it is on the pricey side. To move around the resort, you will either walk (depending on the location of your accommodation), it can be far away from the restaurant or the reception. You can call them for a car pick up. The driver 小宋 is a great asset to the property, so as our Housekeeper 小李(李鸿建), he was very attentive ad observatory. He saw we have many medicine and supplements in the room and he gave us extra water and left us a note. Great initiative! In short, it is a very memorable stay and a very good hideaway.

I booked a 2 bedroom suite using the Hyatt app and although the rooms were nice, I’d recommend perhaps booking 2 connecting rooms instead and not use the Hyatt app at all. More on that later. If you drive here, the lobby is near the front of the property and you’d want to leave your luggage in the car until you get assigned a villa. There is also buggy service if you came using a different mode of transport. We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and it was quite busy at check-in. We were provided a map and given a directions to find our villa and sent on our way. The first thing we did after check in was jump in the outdoor pool. Although the pool was nice, I felt like it’s a bit small for a property this size. So back to the rooms. There are so many different styles of villas in this resort that I’d recommend you view all the options prior to booking. Perhaps use Trip.com or any OTA. I personally would have chosen a bamboo room had I known that’s an option and skipped the suite which I felt was a bit cold and had really no views. That’s on me. As far as our overall stay, I can’t say enough good things about the staff here: from the front desk, management, breakfast hosts, drivers. Everyone was so friendly! Finally, the property grounds were so tranquil. I’d definitely recommend an early morning hike on one of their marked trails to start your day. Finally, pro tip: Skip the Badaling Great Wall and just go to another access point which is 5 min from the resort.

After an hour's journey from Beijing International airport, we arrived and were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful, peaceful and natural surroundings. The architecture of each villa was different and contributed to the serenity and privacy of the whole place. It is necessary to have your own car as the Commune is in a secluded place with no public transportation. The room was clean, spacious and bed was very comfortable. There was adequate supply of amenities. The breakfast had a good spread and the food quality was excellent. We were very impressed with the service. The staff was always courteous to meet our needs. There is a choice of visiting many good quality local restaurants in the valley. It was truly an unforgettable experience!It is definitely a great place for either a personal or family retreat.One felt safe, refreshed and satisfied.