- Introduction: Visiting Pandas In China
- Review: Xiamen Air Business Class 787-9 Los Angeles To Xiamen
- Review: Xiamen Air Domestic Lounge Xiamen Airport
- Review: Xiamen Air Business Class 757 Xiamen To Chengdu
- Review: St. Regis Chengdu
- Booking A Panda Adventure In Chengdu, China
- Our Amazing “Pandadventure” At The Dujiangyan Panda Base
- Review: Chengdu Airport Domestic Lounge
- Review: Xiamen Air Business Class 737 Chengdu To Xiamen
- Review: Le Meridien Xiamen
- Using Didi Chuxing: The Chinese Uber
- Review: Xiamen Air International Lounge Xiamen Airport
- Review: Xiamen Air 787-9 Business Class Xiamen To Los Angeles
- My Experience Traveling With Ben To China
We were spending two nights in Chengdu, and there were quite a few options to choose from. Since Andrew isn’t hotel loyal and I’m a Hyatt and Starwood loyalist, we narrowed down the options to the Grand Hyatt, Sheraton, and St. Regis. The St. Regis was just ~$150 per night, so we booked ourselves there for our two night stay. The hotel seems to be the best in Chengdu, and that’s a price that’s tough to beat for such a hotel.
Our ride from the airport to the hotel took just over 20 minutes, and I could immediately tell that the St. Regis had a great location within the city. It’s in the heart of the city, we could walk many places, and as someone who drinks a lot of coffee, I appreciated that there was even a Starbucks in the same building.
St. Regis Chengdu exterior
St. Regis Chengdu sign
As we approached the hotel we were helped by the friendly bellmen, and escorted inside to reception. The hotel had a grand lobby with a staircase and lobby lounge to the left, and reception to the right.
St. Regis Chengdu lobby
St. Regis Chengdu lobby
St. Regis Chengdu lobby
I think it’s a nice touch when hotels offer a sit-down check-in experience, as is the case at many St. Regis properties. We were also offered warm towels and prune juice as we arrived.
St. Regis Chengdu reception
It was only around 11AM, so I wasn’t necessarily expecting our rooms to be ready. The front office associate checking us in was friendly, though there was definitely a communication barrier. One room was ready right away, while one room had been upgraded to a Lafayette Suite, which was a generous upgrade. However, that room wasn’t yet ready, though I was told it should be ready by 1PM. That was fine by me, as I was happy to sit in the lobby for a bit working.
After working for about two hours I went to check on the status of the room. The lady informed me that the room wasn’t ready yet, and that they’d let me know when it was. I asked if she could give me a sense of when that would be, because otherwise I was thinking of going to the gym while I was waiting. She simply reiterated that she’d let me know when it’s ready. I asked if the person had checked out of the room yet, or if it was being actively cleaned. She once again said the same thing, and then said the room may only be ready at 5PM.
There was a lot that may have been lost in translation here, so I specifically confirmed I understood her correctly, and she said yes. At this point I just told her I’d take any available room, as it wasn’t worth it to me to wait an extra four hours for a suite on a fairly short stay. So she assigned me a grand deluxe room.
I’m not sure how much of this to attribute to a translation issue, though I wish that expectations had been managed better. Fortunately that was the only snafu with this stay.
Elevators were located to the left of reception, so I headed up to the 26th floor.
St. Regis Chengdu elevators
St. Regis Chengdu hallway
I had been assigned room 2615.
St. Regis Chengdu room exterior
The grand deluxe room was beautiful, with a large entryway that had the closet to the right and bathroom to the left.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room entryway
The room featured a comfortable king size bed, and a loveseat next to it by the window.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room couch
Across from that was what looked like a dresser, which was where the minibar and coffee machine were located.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room minibar
Next to that was the desk, which had two chairs, so it could double as a dining table.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room
The desk had the most “extra” feature of the room, which I’ve never seen before. The TV was built into the desk, and every time you’d enter the room the TV would “come out” of the desk to its standard position. As soon as you left the room it went down. I’m not sure if there was a way to lower it while you were actually in the room, but there’s something hilarious about a TV that they make disappear when you’re not in the room.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room desk
Views from the room were mainly of the massive building right next to the St. Regis.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room view
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room view
On the table was a welcome amenity consisting of fresh fruit, along with some small snacks. There were also two small bottles of water (still and sparkling) on the desk.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room welcome amenity
The bathroom was nicely appointed, with double sinks, a bathtub, and a Japanese toilet (which opened every time you went into the bathroom), and a huge walk-in shower. All toiletries were by Remede, as is the norm for St. Regis.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room bathroom
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room bathtub
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room shower
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room toilet
For a (near) standard room, the closet was a good size.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room closet
Also, it’s not every day you get a lighting fixture like this in a hotel room.
St. Regis Chengdu grand deluxe room lighting
Overall I thought the room was lovely. Wifi was pretty fast, and while I had to use a VPN to access many sites, at least the hotel didn’t block VPNs.
Since this is a St. Regis, the hotel offers complimentary coffee & tea 24/7 through butler service, which I took advantage of on more than one occasion.
St. Regis Chengdu complimentary coffee through butler service
In terms of the hotel’s other features, the hotel’s spa, gym, and pool are located on the sixth floor. The pool is very nice, and has a hot tub next to it.
St. Regis Chengdu pool
St. Regis Chengdu hot tub
Next to the pool was the gym, which could be accessed 24/7 using your keycard. It was a nice gym, and had great views of the city.
St. Regis Chengdu gym
St. Regis Chengdu gym
St. Regis Chengdu gym
This hotel goes above and beyond for Platinum members, as there’s a nightly complimentary happy hour from 5:30PM until 7:30PM. This is at Decanter, the hotel’s bar on the fourth floor.
St. Regis Chengdu Decanter Bar
St. Regis Chengdu Decanter Bar
As a Platinum member you can order any of the following drinks for free:
I enjoyed the prosecco, while Andrew had the pinot grigio.
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour drinks
The food spread was located on a table in the center of the bar. It wasn’t a dinner substitute, but had a selection to nibble on.
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
St. Regis Chengdu Platinum happy hour buffet
The servers were friendly and attentive, and constantly offered refills. This is such a generous benefit for the hotel to offer. I’m not sure if there are any other guests besides Platinum members who get access to this as well, because there were quite a few people grabbing food from the buffet.
As a Platinum member breakfast was also included, which was served at Social Restaurant, located on the fourth floor. Breakfast is served daily from 6:30AM until 10:30AM. Both mornings we were among the first there, given that we had stuff planned.
St. Regis Chengdu Social Restaurant
St. Regis Chengdu Social Restaurant
Seating in the restaurant was along the walls, and then in the center of the restaurant were the islands with the food.
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
I’ll let the pictures of the food speak for themselves, though the selection was excellent, no matter what you were into.
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
St. Regis Chengdu breakfast buffet
One of the other things I like about the St. Regis brand is that each property has a signature bloody mary that reflects the region it’s from. So while I’ve never once in my life had a bloody mary outside a St. Regis, I’ve made a habit of trying the local bloody mary at every single St. Regis I go to. I think it’s so fun to try the local variants, as they usually nicely reflect where they’re from.
The hotel has a seasonal rooftop bar, Vantage XXVII, so we decided to go there on our last night to try it out. It’s a beautiful space and it was nice and cool outside. We were the only ones there, which as an introvert is my preferred type of bar, though others may disagree. 😉
St. Regis Chengdu Vantage XXVII
St. Regis Chengdu Vantage XXVII
The regional bloody mary at this hotel is the Chuan Mary. Chengdu is in the Sichuan province, which is known for spiciness, so my expectation was that it would be super spicy and flavorful, which is easy enough to do for a bloody mary. The presentation of the bloody mary was nice, if not a big uncharacteristic of the drink.
St. Regis Chengdu bloody mary
However, unfortunately the drink tasted absolutely vile. It tasted like dishwater, and wasn’t the least bit spicy. I had one sip, and that was it. It’s the first time I’ve been disappointed by a St. Regis bloody mary. So for bloody mary enthusiasts, this is one signature bloody mary to stay away from, in my opinion.
St. Regis Chengdu bottom line
All things considered I loved the St. Regis Chengdu. It was one of the most reasonably priced St. Regis properties I’ve stayed at, the rooms and facilities are gorgeous, they provide excellent Platinum recognition, the staff members were well intentioned, and the hotel has a great location. I’d recommend this hotel in a heartbeat.
However, I’ll be returning to Chengdu soon, and will give the Grand Hyatt a try, just to compare it. But if you are headed to Chengdu, I highly recommend this place.
Temple House is #1, but the new JW Marriott is excellent.
Wow that breakfast looks amazing! I stayed in the St. Regis in Istanbul, Bangkok, Maldives and Singapore and they all have fantastic breakfast! Love the Bloody Marry's as well... YUMMY!
@schar - "loveseat" is a common term in the US for a small couch/sofa designed to seat only two people (unless you really like to sit very, very close) rather than the three or four people a larger sofa seats.
"and a loveseat next to it by the window." - loveseat? Is that a thing? ahahahaah never heard of that...sounds sexual ;)
that hotel looks amazingly fancy, super beautiful. reminded me of Dubai hotels.
I had the same question as @KG and @Patrick regarding tipping (I am staying at my first St. Regis in a few months) and how they knew to send the welcome gift when you had switched rooms.
Live in Chengdu and totally agree with everyone saying The Temple House is the best (please don't stay at the Sheraton it's so old now). FYI the reason that your Bloody Mary tasted like dish washing liquid was because of the Sichuan peppercorns which have a numbing sensation and are typically used in hot pot and Sichuan food. Go great in food and with Moscow Mules but can be a bit difficult in other drinks.
Loved this:
“I enjoyed the prosecco, while Andrew had the pinot grigio.”
As if you guys would have been downing tequila shots like the boys in Animal Kingdom.
My vote for best hotel in Chengdu goes to Temple House. Further advantages compared to the St. Regis are that it is in a more interesting and convenient location (close to Daci Temple Buddhist monastery, part of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li LEED Gold mixed-use community, closer to Metro Line 2 and Chunxi Road pedestrianized high street, etc.).
@Ed, I stayed there in the Lafayette suite last December. Have two photos but I don't know how to share.
SR is NOT the best hotel in the city. As others mentioned, temple house is a league ahead. And even Grand Hyatt is better. Designed by Tony Chi and they will give globalists suites. Their entry room is small though. The new W=A is also a solid choice.
@Lucky, any review of the Lafayette suite? or andrew will do his own review on a separate installment?
(I assume that Andrew got the suite?)
I've stayed both at the St. Regis and Grand Hyatt Chengdu, and I can safely say that the Grand Hyatt is much better than the St Regis, and with a lower rate. The Temple House should be better, but it's not in one of those loyalty programs.
Agree that Temple House is hands down the best in town.
I’ve stayed at St.Regis, Ritz Carlton, Grand Hyatt and Temple house in Chengdu in the past years. Up to now Grand Hyatt is the best in my opinion, especially the service.
Inquiring minds want to know .... was this the venue of the infamous massage? Honestly, great review Ben, sincere thanks! I have a tentative trip to Chengdu in in 2018, and this looks like a bargain!
You see, the decor of the rooms that you find gorgeous, I find it old-fashioned, heavy and corporate.
The Andaz Maui, on the other hand, offers a contemporary decor, with a lot of white, and with lines that are far more pleasant to my eyes.
It's a matter of taste.
How did they get the amenity in the room prior to your arrival if you switched rooms at the desk?
Curious about your tipping customs. Do you tip hotel and F&B staff each time they come to your room for anything, regardless of whether it was a result of the hotel trying to make up for an error? Do you tip regardless of local customs? I ask because of the complimentary coffee/tea butler service you mentioned.
Temple House is the Best Hotel in town.
I believe the best hotel in Chengdu is Temple House, own by Swire. Part of the Upper House and Opposite House brand.
Pizza for breakfast, nice! :-)