Last month, I went to Beijing to discuss a government relations project. The client designated to meet at Diaoyutai Hotel Beijing and said, 'It's quiet, dignified, and convenient to discuss things there.'. I thought it was just borrowing a venue, but the company directly booked a room for me to stay and talk slowly. So, I stayed in this' state guesthouse 'for a full five days.
The arrival time at the hotel is 3pm, and it takes about 40 minutes to arrive from the Capital Airport. The car turns onto Diaoyutai Road from the West Third Ring Road, with ginkgo trees lining both sides. The gatehouse is neither high nor low, without the crystal revolving door commonly seen in five-star hotels, but with a sense of confidence that "there is no need to flaunt". The front desk girl checked in in in three minutes and handed over her room card, saying, "The garden view business room you booked is on the tenth floor, with the window facing the lake view of the park. The conference room is on the third floor, and you need to make a reservation at any time." She spoke crisply and without further ado.
The room is about 50 square meters, with the living room connected to the bedroom and a spacious layout. The first thing I do upon entering is not to admire the scenery, but to plug in the internet cable. The desk was by the window, with two five hole sockets, one Ethernet port, and one HDMI cable. I connected my laptop to Tencent Meeting on the spot, and the picture was as stable as nails nailed to the wall. The customer in Guangzhou said, 'How come you have a lake in your background?' I said, 'Diaoyutai, we're just discussing something.'. Wi Fi and wired dual insurance, the most feared network issue during business trips, does not exist here at all.
The next morning, I went to the conference room on the third floor and made an appointment in advance with the front desk. At 8 o'clock, I had a projector, whiteboard, video equipment, mineral water, and a rectangular table that could accommodate sixteen people. The client brought eight people, five from our side, and from 9pm to 1pm, we finalized the cooperation framework for the North China region. The conference room has excellent sound insulation, and when the door is closed, the sound in the hallway is almost inaudible. You can catch a glimpse of the lake outside the window and take a glance during breaks without getting tired of your eyes.
The bed is the foundation of this trip. The mattress is thick and supportive, not the soft and collapsing feeling of a new hotel. Lying down, the waist and back are firmly caught. The blanket is fluffy but not too heavy, and I have four pillows. I chose a high pillow, so I didn't get angry with my neck. The curtains provide excellent shading, and when pulled tightly, it's as dark as late at night. As someone who sleeps lightly like me, I slept for five consecutive nights until 6:30.
Breakfast is served in the Chinese restaurant on the first floor, offering a variety of Chinese and Western dishes. I brought a bowl of bean curd jelly served with sauce, two deep-fried dough sticks, and a cup of American style. I sat by the window for ten minutes, finished eating and went upstairs to work. Lunch and dinner are all settled in the hotel. The roast duck and Huaiyang Cuisine in the Chinese restaurant make customers praise endlessly, saying that "eating here will save face".
On the day of check-out, I had to catch my afternoon flight. The front desk called me a taxi in advance and even put the shirts that had been washed and ironed these days into a bag. "Everything is sorted out, it's convenient for you to travel," I was stunned for a moment - I didn't even mention ironing clothes. But she remembered.
Stepping out of the door and looking back, the fishing platform stood quietly under the ginkgo tree, neither noisy nor ostentatious. It didn't make me say 'wow', but it allowed me to finalize the project, sleep for five nights, and have five good meals in five days.
Next time we come to Beijing to discuss important matters, we will stay at Diaoyutai Hotel Beijing. Not for anything else, just for that stable internet cable and that bed that made me sleep soundly.Show more