Beijing_Info on Absolute Private Residence Club

[TravelBug Member Find all posts View Profile Close TravelBug]

Has anyone stayed there? Have an opportunity to visit Beijing for a week in early November. I cannot find any reviews of this property. My main interest is location...is it centrally located (it appears to be). Also, any idea of how large this property is? I just got off the phone with II and they have no availability and tell me that they did 0 exchanges during this time last year! I find this hard to believe as the time we're looking at is a low demand time. Is there another exchange company that may be better to use (trading Marriott TSs)? If possible I'd like to use timeshare rather than Marriott hotel points. TIA for any information on this property or other properties in Beijing.

If forced to use hotel points any recommendations as to which Marriott hotel is best located for tourists?

Ingrid

[PeelBoy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PeelBoy]

Have been in Beijing a few times but never been in Absolute Private Residence Club. However, did planning 2 years ago, including extensive search and reading and asking my colleague to check with her relatives in Beijing. Plan changed, so didn't go.

According to my observation in the past few years, II had availability in December and January only, when the season is too cold for comfort travel. This year, I have seen a week in May, but that's a rare find.

My reading (I can read some Chinese) says this "resort" is one of the few highrise buildings, unsold a few years ago as residential apartments when the real estate market was miserable. Developer thus sold some units as residential apartment and converted some to hotel, long term rental and timeshare. The TS section is reasonably spacious and equipped. There are restaurants, supermarket and tennis court at site. Can't recall if there is a swimming pool.

Location wise, it is not bad, by the second ring road. The first ring road is the Palace and the second ring road is considered down or up town. The third ring road is further out, while the fourth is considered suburban. It is like 10 minutes by bus of course during normal traffic from the train station where the subway is. Traffic in Beijing is a nightmare, so everytime I pick a hotel, I prefer within walking distance to a subway station.

Your major consideration should be cost. I have seen weeks in Skyauction and Redweek for rent at a rate of $100 per night. If your cost of MF + exchange fee is more than $700, you might as well rent the week from the market. This apartment resort can be rented locally (I have to find the web site though and you must understand some Chinese or have someone to rent it for you) at a rate of 3,500 RMB, i.e. about $500. Long term rental is even cheaper.

[LisaH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LisaH]

I believe Doug Kaya on TUG stayed there a couple years ago and I didn't hear him complain about this place at all.
From the website Jinluxiang -- Absolute Private Residence Jin Qiao Samui Peninsula Vacation Ownership Holidays: sounds like the location is pretty good.
Regarding booking uisng Marriott Points-please read the fine prints carefully. Lots of Marriott properties in China carry a hefty surcharge when using points. So it's propably not worth it to use points there. Nov is usally the slow season so you might be able to get good rate by just paying with cash. I see you live in Bay area. The other option is to check out a few Chinese travel agencies in SF, SJ, or OAK for hotel and airfare. They usually sell unbelievably good travel packages especially in low season.
Good luck! Both of my kids and my husband have been to Beijing but I still have not made it there yet. Some day...

[TravelBug Member Find all posts View Profile Close TravelBug]

Thank you both for your input. After doing some research, we decided on Marriott's Courtyard in the same district. The hotel is one block from the subway station and appears to be well located. Only 82K Marriott points for 7 nights. Cost-wise, it did not make sense to try for the timeshare...I had just made the assumption that centrally located hotels would be costly. If we decide on another location, we can always cancel and the points go back into DH's account.

DH will be in Beijing on business and I will be joining him for a second week there. Was able to grab FF seats...unfortunately, they are coach as only the 200K FF bus class seats were available and that's just too much to give up!

This is our second time in China. We were there in 1994 for a month-long trip. It was fabulous and I've always wanted to go back. Will do the usual Beijing stuff as well as look into some day trips we didn't do the first time. I'm really looking forward to hiking the Great Wall again.

PeelBoy...any insights would be greatly appreciated. We'll be on our own this time. Would you advise on hiring a guide or is it pretty easy to get around on your own? DH and I have traveled extensively throughout Europe, always on our own, using subways in the major cities and renting cars in the countryside. Additionally, he has spent time on his own adding a few days and sight-seeing on business trips to Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. Our month-long China trip was arranged through CITS as we could not find a tour group that suited us (small numbers as well as travel to Dazu, which was a must-see), so we always had a guide and car with driver.

Lisa...your comment about the hefty surcharge using points...is this a surcharge that is assessed in Beijing? Nothing was mentioned about additional costs when we booked the Courtyard.

I'm so excited to be going there again that I bought both Lonely Planet's and Fodor's Beijing guides today!

[LisaH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LisaH]

I just checked the rates using Marriott rewards. Looks like you are OK for both Courtyards in Beijing that time of the year. Last year, I was able to use points for JW Marriott in Shanghai (cat. 4 or 5, way underrated at the time) and in addition to using the points, there was also a surcharge equivalent to $40-60 added on per night. I ended up just booking a room with the help of a local friend and got a rate at about $120/night without using points.

Enjoy Beijing! Early Nov should not be too cold then. Hopefully I'll be able to go to Shanghai and Beijing this fall as well.

[TravelBug Member Find all posts View Profile Close TravelBug]

Thanks Lisa. We decided on that Courtyard because of the location. Although due to the congestion in that area, we may change hotels if it make sense; we'll need to do a bit more research. The weather is supposed to be in the 50's in November...definitely need to bring a jacket. I'm hoping it will be a bit warmer early in the month.

I hope you make it to Beijing soon.

[lll Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lll]

Beijing

Has anyone stayed there? Have an opportunity to visit Beijing for a week in early November. I cannot find any reviews of this property. My main interest is location...is it centrally located (it appears to be). Also, any idea of how large this property is? I just got off the phone with II and they have no availability and tell me that they did 0 exchanges during this time last year! I find this hard to believe as the time we're looking at is a low demand time. Is there another exchange company that may be better to use (trading Marriott TSs)? If possible I'd like to use timeshare rather than Marriott hotel points. TIA for any information on this property or other properties in Beijing.

If forced to use hotel points any recommendations as to which Marriott hotel is best located for tourists?

Ingrid

Absolute Club, is not centrally located. They have one show apartment used for sales presentations. The second unit they own is used by Bryan Lunt when he visits Beijing. Any fly buys and you are right there have been no exchanges to Beijing are place in hotel rooms. You would be better off getting a hotel room in the centre of Beijing.

[Carolinian Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Carolinian]

I see inventory in Beijing sometimes and elsewhere in China frequently at DAE. I think I read that DAE has an office in China now. You might try them.