A couple of hours after arriving in Beijing for the first time, a friend and I, intent on warding off the urge to nap — and sleep right though till morning, probably — decided to take a stroll in the vicinity of our hotel. Deep in conversation, we were about 10 minutes out when we looked around to notice we were in a city, just like any city, at evening rush hour. We were surrounded by pedestrians hurrying home after a day at work. There was nothing unusual or overtly exotic about our environs. What had we been expecting? I’m not entirely sure, but I do know we hadn’t been expecting, well, ordinary.

Beijing is a city in the throes of change. Ten years ago, it was darn near impossible to find office supplies here, let alone staples like toilet paper. Today, it’s home to two of the 48 Wal-Mart stores located in the People’s Republic of China.

“When I first came to Beijing in 1994,” one local businessman recalled, “I couldn’t find an office for my company. I finally had to set up my office in a hotel room. A lot of companies were doing that because there wasn’t any office space and the hotels were trying to find tenants.

“Now there’s ample office space, and the hotel business is good.”

And getting better, according to Rashid Ahmed, general manager of the Renaissance Beijing Hotel. In fact, demand for hotel rooms is now so steady that another 200 to 300 hotels — that’s right, hundred — are being built in anticipation of the 2008 Summer Olympics.

For perspective, consider this:
Beijing is home to 600 star-graded hotels.
More than 2.6 million foreigners visited Beijing in 2004, representing a 175 percent increase in the number of visitors since 2003.
Built in 1997, Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is already undergoing a major expansion.
Marriott International is one of many companies poised to capture the growing consumer market in Beijing. Marriott established its presence in China in 1989 with a hotel in Hong Kong. In 1997, the company entered mainland China, where today it operates 25 properties representing all six Marriott brands. While the spotlight that the Olympics will shine on Beijing is of great interest to the city’s hotel industry, Marriott remains committed to serving the needs of business travelers here.

In addition to the Renaissance Beijing, Marriott’s growing local presence includes the Marriott West, Courtyard by Marriott and an entirely new multiblock development that, when finished, will include a JW Marriott, a Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Executive Apartments, a luxury extended-stay property.

While Marriott is positioning itself as the go-to place for business travelers, Wal-Mart is making inroads with Chinese nationals. Realizing that laundry detergent made for washing machines wasn’t appealing to their target market, for whom such household appliances may be scarce, the retail giant teamed with Procter and Gamble to develop a hand-wash detergent. Dubbed “Tide White,” the new product has been highly successful.

“With stores in 10 countries around the world, we typically focus on the needs of the local population,” said Beth Keck, Wal-Mart director of international corporate affairs.

As for other adjustments the company is making to accommodate Chinese consumers, “the No. 1 seller in our stores in China is rice,” said Keck. “While our super-centers have some resemblance to what you’d see in the United States, in China there’s a focus on fresh food. For example, fish is scaled on the spot.”

With 48 stores already operating in China, the tally will rise to 60 by the end of the year, Keck said. Wal-Mart’s exponential growth in China was sparked by a World Trade Organization agreement that went into effect last December, lifting a number of restrictions that had limited growth opportunity.

“What may be interesting to your readers,” said Keck, “is that they can now come into our stores and get office supplies and stationery that were previously difficult to find.”

But despite the growing East-West integration suggested by business success stories like Marriott’s and Wal-Mart’s, there is still a strong divide between cultures. A colleague was irked by our guide’s matter-of-fact acceptance of the consequences of violating the government’s one-child-per family rule — namely, a second child is not allowed work documentation, leaving him or her to a life of unemployment and homelessness, or being entirely dependent upon on family support. Upon exiting the Forbidden City and its ornate buildings — once home to emperors — we were surrounded by aggressive beggars, many of whom were afflicted with maladies such as burns or bent limbs that I feel confident could have been treated successfully in the United States. And one Beijing-based businessman mused about importing snow-blowers to expedite his employees’ efforts to clear snow during the winter, but decided against it when a colleague pointed out that other workers, shoveling with a piece of plywood nailed to a 2-by-4, would insist they, too, be given the tools to operate in the 21st century.

LODGING

RENAISSANCE BEIJING HOTEL

The 172-room (plus 40 suites) Renaissance Beijing Hotel is housed in what was designed as an office complex. While the office building never came to the fore, the hotel that took its place is top-notch. Large guestrooms feature all the expected amenities, including high-speed Internet access, spacious work area, in-room coffee and tea service, two-line telephone with voicemail, comfortable bedding with an assortment of pillows, and high-end bath amenities. There’s a full-service business center, fitness center and atrium-style indoor swimming pool, in addition to a cafe and full-service restaurant.
RENAISSANCE BEIJING HOTEL
36 Xiaoyun Lu Chaoyang District
tel 86 10 6468 9999, fax 86 10 6468 9913
http://www.marriott.com

GRAND HYATT BEIJING

Grand Hyatt Beijing is an elegantly modern property representing a blend of Western and Asian traditions and design. Just 40 minutes from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), the hotel is located in Beijing’s newest landmark, the Oriental Plaza. Guestrooms feature panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows. Other amenities include Hyatt’s Club Oasis fitness center, spa and swimming pool. The hotel’s 480 rooms and 102 suites are wired for Internet access. The property offers seven distinct dining venues.
GRAND HYATT BEIJING
1 E. Chang An Ave.
tel 86 10 8518 1234, fax 86 10 8518 0000
http://beijing.grand.hyatt.com

CHINA WORLD HOTEL

Ideally located in the heart of Beijing’s diplomatic and business district, Shangri-La’s 716-room China World Hotel was fully renovated in 2003. The award-winning property is a popular lodging choice for business and government leaders, and offers one of the largest conference and meetings facilities in Beijing. Comfort, luxury and style define the China World Hotel’s newly refurbished guestrooms and suites, which include two spectacular presidential suites: the Beijing Suite and the China Suite. Each guestroom features an oversized desk wired for complimentary high-speed Internet. The hotel’s premier rooms include spacious living areas.
CHINA WORLD HOTEL
1 Jianguomenwai Ave.
tel 86 10 6505 2266
http://www.shangri-la.com

DINING

ARIA

Located in the China World Hotel, Aria dishes up modern Euro-style cuisine. Served weekdays, the restaurant’s “business lunch” is an award-winning midday dining option. Aria offers an extensive wine list.The sounds of smooth jazz serenade diners seated in the cozy wine bar.
ARIA
China World Hotel
1 Jianguomenwai Ave.
tel 86 10 6505 2266 ext. 36
http://www.shangri-la.com

NOBLE COURT
Noble Court at the Grand Hyatt is noted for its exquisite Cantonese and Southern Chines e cuisine prepared by master chefs. The restaurant’s decor recalls the ambience of a Chinese nobleman’s courtyard home. Regional delicacies include shark’s fin, bird’s nest and abalone. Noble Court is also popular for its lunchtime dim sum specialties. Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays.
GRAND HYATT BEIJING
1 E. Chang An Ave.
tel 86 10 85181234, fax 86 10 8518 0000
http://beijing.grand.hyatt.com

MEI FU

Vintage photos of Mei Fang, China’s famous opera star, adorn the walls of this elegant courtyard dining venue on the banks of Houhai Lake. The intimate dining experience is highlighted by a decor that includes antique furniture, heavy velvet curtains and pebble paths meandering past tinkling water fountains. The set menu features Shanghai-style favorites, including fried shrimp and pineapple salad.
MEI FU
24 Daxiangfeng Lane
tel 86 10 6612 6845

Checking In with Rashid Ahmed

General manager of the Renaissance Beijing Hotel

Global Traveler:

Tell us about your background in the hospitality industry, and how you came to be affiliated with Marriott.
Rashid Ahmed: I first started with Hyatt Regency Hotel in Hong Kong as a front desk clerk in 1970, and later moved on to Furamar Hotel and Excelsior Hotel, both in Hong Kong as well. I emigrated to Toronto in 1988 and was very fortunate to find a position in the hotel industry. My last position there was director of sales at the Clarion Essex Park Hotel. I returned to this part of the world in 1994, working in Guangzhou and Macau. From Macau, I moved to Beijing with Jing Guang New World Hotel. Marriott subsequently purchased the management contract for New World Hotels International. This began my affiliation with Marriott.

GT:

How has Beijing changed and developed during your tenure?
RA: When I first arrived in 1997, Beijing’s infrastructure consisted of only the third and fourth ring roads. Now the city has extended to include a sixth ring. Traffic was never a problem early on, but now it’s jammed everywhere. From a humble city, Beijing has developed into a modern, clean and consumer-oriented place. Internationally known brands are readily available. Local citizens are having a much better life than 10 years ago.

GT:

What’s on the horizon as Beijing prepares to host the 2008 Olympics? What’s going on in terms of development?
RA: No doubt about it, our central government is doing its best to showcase Beijing — or rather China as whole — to the world for the 2008 Olympics. When it comes to 2008, the city will be much cleaner. The air will be fresher and the city will be greener than the last time you were here. They are pulling down a lot of old buildings to make way for the Olympics. Better communications and traffic systems will be in place, too. New and modern office and apartment space will replace the out-of-date space available today.

GT:

Based on your past and present experience, describe the Beijing you see 10 years from now, in 2015.
RA: I can imagine Beijing rated among international cities around the world. With more and more people being educated overseas, more focus on the international arena in finance and city planning, and with multinational development in China, Beijing will move even faster than anyone has expected. Personally, I think a younger and more Westernized generation will rise up to run this country like any of our civilized neighboring countries. It may not mean change in the central government, but there will be change in corporate China as a whole.

Just the Facts

Location:Eastern Asia, bordered by the East China Sea, Korea Bay, the Yellow Sea and the South China Sea, and by North Korea and Vietnam.
Government Type: Communist state
Time Zone: GMT +8 hours
Phone Code: 86
Entry/Exit Requirements: A valid passport and visa are required, and must be obtained from a Chinese embassy or consulate before travel to China.
Currency: Chinese yuan (CNY)

INFO TO GO

Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is located about 16 miles northeast of the city. Airport facilities include banks, duty-free shops, restaurants, medical facilities and a post office. Business facilities available at the airport include Internet access and fax and computer services. Car rental fa cilities, taxis and buses are readily available at or near the airport.