Aman Summer Palace

While it's no longer an Aman, this still is one of the best hotels in Beijing. To start, you get a dedicated access to the Summer Palace via a "secret" door in the hotel. Perfect for going early to run the grounds before the crowds show up. The staff are excellent and take care of everything. The room we stayed in was part of the original Summer Palace so there's a lot of history right in your own room! Finally, the food is, as expected, excellent. The cafe by the pond is a great way to enjoy afternoon high tea, and we did the Roast (Peking) Duck at the Chinese restaurant which was very good. Overall it was a wonderful stay and we'll come back !

We were transported back in time in this cosy property adjacent to the Summer Palace. The rooms are cosy and grounds quiet, a stark contrast to the crowds in the Summer Palace. Breakfast as well as meals in the Chinese restaurant were always enjoyable and most of the staff were met proficient in English.

My family and I stayed 4 nights. We booked the entire courtyard #9. It has 3 buildings within the courtyard. Prefect for a family of eight. The biggest of the three has two separate sleeping quarters join by a living area. Each building is so spacious. So much privacy. All the staffs are amazing. Not all staffs can speak English but they are there to help with whatever you need. There are two restaurants in the property. This Aman (Summer Palace) comes with complementary breakfast with your booking. The food was delicious and plenty to choose from. All hot food is available to order from the menu. The spa, pool and workout facilities are under the main building. Love the pool. The most amazing thing about this property is that as a guest, you have your own entrance into the actual Summer Palace. Just call the front desk and someone will meet you at special door. This property also offer you a photoshoot where they take you back to the Ming dynasty. They have a lot of outfits to choose from. Was a very fun afternoon. The property is a bit far from the city. Took us over an hour just to get somewhere. Beijing traffic is also very bad. Overall I love the property and will come back again if I’m ever in Beijing.

We booked a room with clear, basic specifications. Not only did this Aman fail to fulfill our booking, their proposed “solutions” were shockingly disrespectful and far below the standard of any reputable hotel, especially this Aman. There were also undertones of racial profiling that we found unacceptable. Their first “offer” was to either pay more for a room that met our needs or have one of us sleep on the literal sofa because they “don’t do rollaway beds.” We were stunned. Only after pressing for a better solution did a rollaway bed suddenly become available. And it gets worse. We chose this property for its spectacular location in the Summer Palace, expecting world-class service. Instead, this Aman delivered a masterclass in deception, contradiction, and disregard. We checked in at 7 p.m. and endured four exhausting hours of back and forth, only to end up in a room that was still uncomfortable and unacceptable. The longer we dealt with staff, the more contradictory and dismissive their responses became. Just a few examples: 1. The manager told us one of us should sleep on the sofa because it is “more comfortable than the actual bed,” claiming that is what they choose when they stay in the room. As if their personal preference should dictate what paying guests accept. We doubt they would ever say this to a European-presenting guest. We are both Asian American, fluent in English and Mandarin, and this comment felt targeted. 2. When we offered to pay the price difference for an upgrade, we were told there were no available guestrooms or family suites. Yet, their own website and multiple third-party booking sites showed them available for our entire stay. Instead, we were told we could spend thousands more on an additional suite we never asked for. Throughout the night, room availability and prices seemed to change at their convenience. 3. Even our Amex Platinum benefits offered no meaningful advantage here. The supposed perks were overshadowed by the staggering inconvenience. What is most disturbing is the sense of apathetic resignation from the staff, as though this behavior is standard practice. Even when shown clear proof of available rooms, they ignored it or spun new, contradictory excuses. It leaves us questioning whether this is a directive from higher management to prioritize squeezing guests for profitability. Another thing to add is that this hotel is not suitable for business travelers. The glass to the toilet is frosted so privacy even within the room is compromised. This is on top of the overall atmosphere being dark, cold, and unwelcoming. After spending thousands of dollars, I am sleeping on a rollaway bed. This Aman should be ashamed.

This is an exquisite hotel. Where else can you stay in a century-old traditional courtyard dating back to Dowager Empress Cixi's reign? Our suite was luxurious and beautifully appointed; we were literally a few steps away from the secret door to the Summer Palace, a Unesco heritage site. Shoutout to the following staff who went out of their way to make our stay memorable: 1) Wendy, Fiona and Bellboy who patiently answered all my email queries 2) Justin, Tracy and Jojo of Reception who assisted us with check-in and booking taxis (which can be quite tricky if you are using the local apps) 3) Grace of the Chinese Restaurant for her attentive service during my son's birthday dinner celebration. The table decor and special food (his complimentary longevity noodles, slice of birthday cake and traditional dessert) were terrific. The Beijing duck is highly recommended and one of the best in Beijing. 4) Answer Wang of The Grill Restaurant whose level of service at breakfast and dinner was nothing short of exemplary. His food and drink recommendations were excellent; he even gave us a different type of tea for rainy weather! We will be back!