As we expected, the dun colored haze of China's air pollution greeted us as we landed. Also in appearance: an expeditor from the Raffles, a youngish woman with a no-nonsense bun and dress suit, appeared to take our bags and usher us to our waiting Audi to take us to the hotel. The Raffles brand is defined by exceptional customer service but we had expected a 6 by 12 airport sign after we cleared customs. Likewise, our we found that what we originally imagined to be a check-the-box-on-China trip exceeded our expectations and left us wanting more.
Read after the break for specific recommendations on doing Beijing in style with three days on the ground.