Great service in China

[TonyB]

I recently had my first trip to Beijing and thought I would book a hotel car to pick me up from the airport just to be safe on my first visit. I was staying at the Intercontinental Financial Street in Beijing and arranged for an Audi to collect me when I arrived. However, instead of the driver waiting outside in the arrivals hall he was waiting for me as soon as I stepped off the plane and he then carried my bags and escorted me all the way through immigration (including a 1 hour delay while I was screened for pig virus) and down to the waiting car.

On my return, I got the car again and this time when the driver got to the airport there was another guy waiting for me and he handled all of my bags and escorted me through to check-in and when he saw a huge line for Y, he took me straight to the F counter and checked me in immediately. He then escorted me as far as he could go without being a passenger.

Anyway, for a first time visitor to a city I thought this was a fantastic service and well beyond what I actually expected when I simply requested a car to collect me.

I was wondering if anyone has had a similar experience in other cities or with other hotels in particular?

 

[moa999]

Welcome to China.
When pay rates are cheap you get stuff like this.

Last time I was there I took the train as far as I could out into the suburbs, a real local area, jumped in a cab who drove me to the Great Wall. He then waited around for two hrs before driving me back to the station.

No waiting time - he was more than renumerated for the distance travelled compared to normal fares.
Meter was all of $50 - I gave him a solid tip and he was extremely happy.

 

[TonyB]

I think being able to speak the language would make a big difference, I am still very much a mandarin novice so you feel very vulnerable when in a taxi with a driver that doesn't speak any english. A few of my trips in a taxi were with a Chinese colleague which proved to be a lifesaver because very few of our cab drivers knew where to go in central Beijing and he could at least communicate with them. Having said that, the train system is fantastic so I would probably use that next time.

 

[N860CR]

When I arrived in PEK last year I got into a taxi and, of course, the driver didn't speak a word of English (not even "Hello"). Obviously he also couldn't read my hotel details either, nor could the "English speaking" translator who was at the rank. Long story short... $30 worth of international roaming calls later I had someone back at home search the Holiday Inn website to find the hotels phone number, and then the driver called that - and the meter was running the whole time!

Sounds like your car was a good idea, I might give that a go when I'm there next month.

 

[NM]

When I arrived in PEK last year I got into a taxi and, of course, the driver didn't speak a word of English (not even "Hello"). Obviously he also couldn't read my hotel details either, nor could the "English speaking" translator who was at the rank. Long story short... $30 worth of international roaming calls later I had someone back at home search the Holiday Inn website to find the hotels phone number, and then the driver called that - and the meter was running the whole time!

Sounds like your car was a good idea, I might give that a go when I'm there next month.

That is why I always have the hotel address (and office address etc) written in Chinese ready to hand to the driver.

 

[Keith009]

At PVG all the hotels including the Westin where I stayed had counters at the arrival hall, so I simply picked up an address card at the Westin's counter and handed it to the taxi driver. I also kept the card for subsequent taxi rides back to the hotel, and also kept spares just in case.

 

[Emkay]

Just arrived home yesterday from 10 days in Beijing, our first visit. Must say we were most impressed, such a contrast to our previous visits to Guangzhou in 1992 and 1997 - you wouldn't think it was the same country, both infrastructure and attitude-wise. They have spent billions in Beijing on a fantastic road and subway system and the hotels are great. Did have a bit of trouble getting from the new Capital Airport T3 to our conference venue by taxi, as it was 35km north of the city in Changping and the taxi drivers were unfamiliar with that area, despite showing the typical 0% Engish-speaking driver the mudmap provided by the conference organisers. Eventually made it, A$20 for the one hour trip. Did a taxi trip from the venue to the Great Wall at Mutianyu one morning - an hour each way and 90 minutes waiting racked up Y390 on the meter. With a grin-inducing tip, we shelled out about A$90 total. BTW, Mutianyu is a great wall visit spot - somewhat less overloaded with tourist buses than the regular sites further west. We moved into the Novotel Peace Hotel in town for the final few days and really enjoyed it and them. The subway system is schmick - it costs Y2 (about A$0.40) per entry, no matter how far you go or how many times you change between the 13 intersecting lines, all built in the past 5 yrs. And the shopping!!! Bought good quality clothes and trainers and jewellery and CDs and DVDs (all legit China market labelled versions, no obvious pirated stuff) so Had to buy a new bag to fit it all in for the return trip, but that was just as crazily cheap as everything else we bought. Got a full Chinese market packaged set of the BBC 'Complete Shakespeare Dramatic Works' productions ('78 - '85) and yes, they are in the original language! And we found the kite market (way out in the sticks - another long taxi ride and search mission with a non-English speaking driver, and really interesting discussion and price negotiation with the miniscule English speaking kite sellers) and bought about 8 for the gkids (well, might keep a couple myself!)

 

[Fifa]

I recently had my first trip to Beijing and thought I would book a hotel car to pick me up from the airport just to be safe on my first visit. I was staying at the Intercontinental Financial Street in Beijing and arranged for an Audi to collect me when I arrived.

TonyB
Were you Ambassador or Royal Ambassador?
How much were you charged per airport trip?

 

[SnowYeti]

On one of my business trips to Shanghai, they organised a local driver to pick me up. Was waiting at baggage collection area too.

I think I paid equiv to $80 AUD, he did not speak a word of english, not even a hi or anything. I saw my name on a sign, waved, then he grabbed my bags, sat in car, doors locked, then arrived at hotel .... then gave him money and he gave me a receipt! Was told to make sure I have exact change or they will get angry!