I understand that the Hyatts are often the best places to stay in China. Can someone tell me if the following are good rates for double rooms going in September to October?<BR>Beijing Grand Hyatt -- 150US<BR>Shainghai Grand Hyatt -- 178 US<BR>Xi'an Hyatt -- 85 US<BR>Hyatt Regency Kowloon -- 1000 HK$<BR><BR>Thank you. I know it may be possible to save money by waiting and booking these there, but how much would I be likely to save? And what are the chances that I might not be able to get a room at the last minute if something is going on there?

I've been looking at the Hyatt website and recognize that price for Shanghai, but the others are certainly lower than those on the Hyatt website. (Don't know about the one in Hong Kong, though, as I haven't checked it). Where are you looking?

Sometimes I find the best Hyatt prices on the Hyatt website (when they have specials) and sometimes I've found the best rates to be on the internet booking services. You might check asiahotels.com With some of the internet booking services, you get a total price including tax and service and (usually) breakfast. These are often great deals, as tax and service typically add another 20% to your bill.

The 'cheap' Web sites are your guide. They have no special relationship, hold no blocks of rooms, etc., and half of them the hotels themselves have never heard of. Anything they can get you can beat, if you want to. <BR><BR>Rack rates are not untypically double what you can reasonably expect to pay, and looking so far ahead rates posted will almost always be far above the reality nearer the time. But September is high season for foreign tourism, and the first week of October is a national holiday, so rates tend to be a little higher at that time depending on tour group bookings, and whether there are any major conferences or exhibitions going on, too. There's always a chance you might not get the exact hotel you want, but even booking via hotel Web sites the rates are generally much lower at short notice. <BR><BR>Bear in mind that for most of the year there is a vast oversupply of good quality hotel rooms in Beijing and elsewhere, and new addresses are opening all the time. Each hotel is faced daily with an inventory of goods with a 'sell by' date of that day, and all are willing to take at short notice at great deal less than published rates, which are just to show how special they are, imply.<BR><BR>Don't forget, too, that over the next few weeks there may well begin a series of events which cause a complete collapse in tourism this year, and better bargains even for advance booking may be just around the corner. <BR><BR>Also keep in mind that the average yield per room per night for most four- and five-star hotels in Beijing is around US$65. Only three or four manage an average room rate in excess of US$100, and although I haven't seen the Shanghai figures, the situation with supply is much the same.<BR><BR>The Xi'an Hyatt might be very busy the first week in October--it's a top tourist destination for Chinese, and there are fewer good quality rooms in town.<BR><BR>In HK, if you are sticking with Hyatt, I'd recommend the Grand Hyatt on the Island side is several notches up from the Hyatt Regency in Kowloon, and I'd recommend that. But it's often full in October. Watch out for the dates of Guangzhou trade fair.<BR><BR>Incidentally on service, the rate is never above 15%, but there are additional city taxes which vary from place to place. In Beijing it's Y6 per bed, although this is often charged as Y12 for the room, however many people. Budget hotels roll this into the room rate, but the big boys charge it as an extra. At a total of $1.50 per night, this doesn't come to much, and I read the other day that it's now been done away with in Beijing, but I have no confirmation of that.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html

I'm surprised about your recommending staying on the island rather than Kowloon in Hong Kong, Peter. I've only been there once, but was sure glad we stayed in Kowloon (at the Regent, which I guess is now the Intercontinental). I found Kowloon to be much better than the &quot;business atmosphere&quot; of most of the hotel area on the island (unless you're there on business). I don't know the Hyatts in Hong Kong, but I'd probably choose the one in Kowloon based on location since it sounds like you're committed to Hyatts.

The rates I quoted are from the Hyatt website, and most seem to match the current rates (I entered dates for this week to compare). But some allow for a senior discount, which seems to be a big savings, although none was offered by the Shanghai Hyatt.<BR><BR>I have looked at several bargain China websites, but so far have not found any lower rates, and again have looked for quotes for this week. Does anyone have any specific websites that might be better?<BR><BR>Waiting until I arrive is not an option for me. As Peter says, you might not get the exact hotel you want. For business and family reasons we will want to know well in advance the exact hotel we are staying in.

CalgirlSusan,<BR>I've typically paid between $150-$160 at the Shanghai Hyatt so $178 is not that far off. With Sept/Oct being a busy time of year, there's a good chance you won't find availability at this property if you try to book upon arrival.

Thank you Patty. That is the kind of information I'm really looking for.

I don't know if you want to stay at Hyatts because you wan to build up points or because you have been told they are the best hotels. If the latter, there are lots of good hotels in Hong Kong and China, so don't be afraid to try other brands.<BR><BR>Love the Hyatt in Shanghai - great views and huge rooms. The price for the Hyatt in Beijiing seems very good for that time of year, I don't really know anything about the hotel. I am not a fan of the location of the Hyatt in Xian. My recommendation would be the ANA Grand Castle, which IMHO has the best location in Xian, as it has a view of the city wall, and is near to the only public access point to get up on the wall. It is an easy walk from the hotel to the Bell Tower and the main mosque. ANA is a Japanese chain and they generally run very good hotels. Check out their website at anahotels.com. I don't think the location of the Hyatt is good for sightseeing in Xian; as neither have a view of the city wall -- one of the main sites of the city -- and neither are within walking distance of the other areas mentioned above. No hotel is close to the terra cotta warriors, as that is a bit out of town. <BR><BR>In Hong Kong, I also am not a fan of the Grand Hyatt for two reasons: view and location. You won't get the famous view of the skyline here, as many rooms face the huge interior courtyard and pool area, and the rest look over the water to Kowloon. The location is actually not that convenient, as it is a bit out of the way in Wan Chai and you may end up taking more taxis than you wish. (I also think the d&eacute;cor is in slightly bad taste, a bit too much black marble and huge crystal chandeliers for me.) The Hyatt in Kowloon may not give you much in the way of views either as it is behind some big hotels, but you can quickly get to the waterfront in Kowloon and see the famous view. There is also a fun night market in the area (Temple Street). The price is very good for Hong Kong in September/October, so that is a consideration. The Intercontinental and the Peninsula would of course be better choices in terms of view and quality. I would also say to check out the YMCA on Salisbury Road in Kowloon, a great location and very nice rooms. It really is a nice 4* hotel disguised as a YMCA. They are very popular, often overbooked and probably more expensive than the Hyatt, but it is worth a try.<BR><BR>If you want to be on Hong Kong Island, check the Marriott/Conrad/Shangri-La complex at Pacific Place, which may offer good deals. If price is a consideration, there are two YMCAs on Hong Kong island. Also, the Bishop Lei International House is another hotel in the $100 price range which I would also recommend. It is in midlevels. The rooms are small but very nice, and the location is good, in a residential neighborhood near the top of the escalator and on a bus route. Many of the rooms have great views over the city and the harbour. Their website is bishopleihtl.com. Their phone and fax are phone : 852-2868-0828 fax: 852-2525-1551.<BR>

I would say those are appropriate prices for Hyatt, and you should book them now, but... keep checking back to see if any lower rates (i.e. internet, AAA, weekend promotions etc) turn up. Then you can cancel &amp; re-book at the lower rate. I do this all the time, and actually the Hyatt reservation agents have been good about helping me out in changing my resevations in this manner. With the current 'SARS' scare in Asia, I would imagine some heavy promoitons may be forthcoming to fill some of the now empty rooms.

Although I'm becoming concerned about our trip to China this coming fall, I have booked all the ones I mentioned above. Thanks for the help and ideas. The Hyatt in Kowloon is only for one night so I'm not all that concerned about the view. We stayed at the Regent before which was wonderful, but I can't seem to find a harborfront room there for less than $350 US, so I don't think we'll splurge for that for the one night.<BR><BR>The senior rates Hyatt offers tend to be the lowest ones they ever give. I'm just hoping they will add a senior rate for Shanghai and for Beijing.

Checking two hypothetical dates, one in September and one in October, I did come up with a senior rate at the Grand Hyatt Shanghai of $160. Are you looking on the Hyatt website?

Thank you. Yes I do now find that rate. When I clicked senior rate for Shanghai last month, it always said not available. So at least I can save $18 a night. Was hoping for more.<BR><BR>Now if I still go through with the planned trip in light of the current situation. . .