Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing — A Round, Rising-Sun Building on the Lake, in the Shadow of the Great Wall

Here's the thing everyone mentions first — the building. Sunrise Kempinski is not your typical rectangular hotel block; it's a round, 21-storey glass tower designed to look like the sun rising over the lake. In daylight the glass reflects the water, the mountains and the sky in layered bands, and at dusk the whole structure glows gold like an actual sunrise. Guests who photograph it all say the same thing: it's far bigger and more striking than the pictures suggest. The resort holds 306 rooms and suites in total, and nearly every one faces the lake or the mountains.

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Location needs to be spelled out clearly before you book. The hotel stands right on Yanqi Lake in Huairou district, about 60 km from central Beijing, and there is no metro — from the city you'll need a taxi or private car, roughly 1.5 hours each way. This is the single biggest thing to weigh up. If your plan is to walk the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square or shop Wangfujing every day, this place isn't for you. But if your goal is the Great Wall and a lakeside rest, that same remoteness turns into an advantage.

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Because the real draw here is that it's only about a 30-minute drive to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall — the stretch that's prettier and less crowded than Badaling. Many guests stay a night precisely so they can set out early and walk the wall while it's still quiet, then come back and relax by the lake. Nearby you'll also find Yanqi Island, the Chinese-architecture summit island, which is a lovely place to wander and take photos. The resort grounds are generous too, with easy lakeside walks — it suits anyone who wants a slower pace than the city allows.

Inside, the resort is well stocked with facilities. There are six restaurants and bars in all, from an international buffet to Chinese dining and a lake-view restaurant. The most praised of all is the breakfast buffet, which guests describe as both varied and genuinely good. On top of that you get Kempinski The Spa, an indoor swimming pool, a fitness centre and a Kids Club for families, so even if it rains or the weather turns cold there's plenty to do indoors all day. Several guests note that on some days they barely left the resort at all, because everything they needed was already on site.

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A score of 8.6/10 from around 900 real reviews shows most guests come away impressed — especially with the views, the spacious rooms, the breakfast and the peace and quiet. The criticisms are real and worth knowing. First, the distance: there's no metro, so you rely on a car throughout, and unless you've hired a vehicle or a driver, getting to and from the city becomes both fiddly and costly. Second, some reviews note that parts of the building are starting to show their age, and peak-season rates run high. On balance it's still good value if you're here for the views and the Great Wall — not for sightseeing in the city itself.

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Room rates start at around ~¥1,200 (฿6,000) per night for a standard room, with a typical range of about ฿6,000–11,000 depending on season and room type; lake-view rooms and suites climb higher. Weekends, China's Golden Week (October 1–7) and the autumn-foliage season (late September to October) — when Beijingers love to escape the city for the Great Wall — see rates jump and rooms sell out fast. If you're travelling then, book several weeks ahead and take a free-cancellation rate to keep your options open.

The honest summary, friend to friend: Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing is for travellers who want to escape the city for lake-and-mountain views and use it as a base for the Mutianyu Great Wall. It's a great fit for couples after a romantic setting, or families who want the kids to run around outside the city. But the catch is real — you must plan your transport carefully, because it's far out and there's no metro. If your trip is mainly about sightseeing in the city, look at the Wangfujing or CBD hotels in our Beijing list instead.