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China hotels
Hotels in China have come a long way since the days when musty "friendship hotels" were, for foreigners, the only places to stay. Today, no place on earth is building hotels at the same speed as China. This frenetic expansion is increasing the range and quality of accommodations both for international business and leisure travelers and for China's fast-growing domestic travel market. Shanghai and Beijing have the most advanced hotel scenes in mainland China, with most of the international luxury chains represented (or on their way). There is also an emerging focus in those cities on design-led independent properties, such as Hotel Côté Cour S.L. and Commune. Shanghai is home to one of the highest hotels in the world (the Grand Hyatt Shanghai) and also plans to build the lowest, a luxury underground property in a former quarry, slated to open in 2010. Some of the best hotels in China are beyond the mainland, in Hong Kong and, increasingly, in its fellow Special Administrative Region, Macau. The latter is making waves with its enormous casino resorts, which aim to attract meetings and conventions, as well as the growing number of gambling-crazed Chinese. China is also developing some fine resort hotels, particularly on the island of Hainan. Cities adjacent to natural and historical attractions, such as Hangzhou, Suzhou, Lijiang, and Nanjing, are also welcoming international resort operators, and luxury hotels are springing up in previously neglected areas, such as the northern ski fields near Yabuli, and at the foot of the Great Wall.
Though a serious business hotel, the 511-room Longement (formerly the Regent) has plenty of charm. Rooms have sleek, generous work spaces, pillowtop beds (where...more
see the Shanghai guide
This high-rise above "the shopping mecca of Pacific Place" is "the perfect respite" after a day of sightseeing, with views of Victoria Peak and the harbor....more
see the Hong Kong guide
The 328-room St. Regis has sizable sleeping quarters that are just about as grand as the sweeping, ballroomlike check-in area. Special amenities include 24-hour...more
see the Shanghai guide
The aerodynamic angles of this tower next to the Beijing International Club contrast with the buildings in the surrounding diplomatic district....more
see the Beijing guide
Personalized classical luxury is suffused throughout this 17-floor hotel, opened in late 2007 at China Central Place, a retail and residential development east...more
see the Beijing guide
Shanghai's second Ritz-Carlton hotel (the Portman Ritz-Carlton is located across the river in Puxi) sits atop the 58-story Shanghai IFC South Tower in Pudong,...more
see the Shanghai guideThroughout this helicopter-view hotel, currently billed as the highest in the world, the extreme elevation of the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong in the 1,588-foot-high...more
see the Hong Kong guide
This property is "good if you're on business." Designed in glass and chrome, the tower has a lobby lounge decorated with 60,000 sculpted resin bamboo leaves....more
see the Beijing guide
Closer to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City than any of the city's other top-end hotels, the Raffles occupies a Beaux Arts–style building with a...more
see the Beijing guide
With its new 36-floor glass tower, the Shangri-La is set to give its Pudong competitors a run for their money. It may not tower as high as the Grand Hyatt, but...more
see the Shanghai guide
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