Grant Hyatt, Beijing, China

Enjoyed via in room dining at Grand Hyatt in Beijing.

15 hours to Hong Kong, 3 hours to Beijing, 12 hour time difference – it felt incredible to be back in China, 8 years since our last visit, this time with two kids in tow. The whole trip was fairly seamless, and we arrived in beautiful Beijing in high spirits, wildly jetlagged, but somehow full of energy.

We chose the Grand Hyatt for two reasons:

1) I used to frequent it for drinks when I lived in Beijing, and at the time, couldn’t imagine staying at such a posh hotel (this was 15 years ago)

2) Friends recommended it for the service, location, and pool

The hospitality greeted us warmly, from the moment we failed to pay our taxi by WeChat, to the concierge floor check in, this property catered to tourists. It was a wonderful experience to arrive at such a foreign destination yet feel so welcomed. Keep in mind, 2.5 million Americans visited China in 2019, while only 250 thousands visited in 2024, so we were a more unique commodity today.

Tired, hungry, confused… We were very emotional after checking into our room, but we knew food would appease and excite all of them. Rachel ordered a bunch of Chinese-themed items, and I, of course, went for the classic club sandwich.

Total meh. A combination of mediocre ingredients led to a soggy letdown. Dry chicken, papery bacon, tasteless tomato, an egg overly fried, lettuce there just for texture, bread so sad you felt bad for it… it shocked me, as the food at this hotel truly was fantastic. Each morning we dined in their concierge floor, which was overflowing with delicious Asian and Western choices, and the Grand Hyatt’s Made in China Peking Duck restaurant is famous… yet this club sandwich, they know they can do better. I was disappointed.

Fortunately, this was the only negative aspect of our trip. Everything else went seamlessly, and I ate more food in the four-day stint than I could imagine…. Beijing is a food lovers city, just avoid the club sandwich at the Grand Hyatt… in fact, generally speaking, avoid club sandwiches in China – you’ll see on my blog, it rates as the lowest country in the world.

Location