China Fine China
From off-the-beaten-track tours exploring sleepy rivers and misty mountains to attention-grabbing architectural hotels and Michelin-starred dining, China is fast becoming the must-do destination of the decade
author: Lee Cobaj T - he Chinese economy
may be slowing but it seems the country’s tourism industry is still
revving at full throttle, with a range of hotel openings on the horizon and international visitors growing more curious about what the country has
to offer beyond the obvious. “China bookings are up 20% year-
on-year from the UK, showing a very healthy appetite for the destination,”
says Ben Briggs, head of marketing at Wendy Wu Tours. The growing scope of the market is
well illustrated by the enormous amount of new luxury hotels shooting up all across the country. In the coming years, Starwood’s brands alone will see their numbers
swelled by as many as 100 new hotels, from a sky-piercing W in Shanghai to its
seventh St Regis in China – the St Regis Changsha, which will debut in September, with 202 rooms on the banks of the Xiang River in the ancient city of Changsha. Shangri-La meanwhile has plans to add eight new luxurious outposts to its portfolio, while Four Seasons is set to open its ninth property in China in the port town of Tianjin this summer. As well as extravagant city centre hotels,
there are plenty of chic new boutique hideaways throwing open their doors in
far-flung corners of the country too. Six Senses, for example, unveiled the Qing Cheng Mountain Resort and Spa amid the misty peaks and historic temples of Sichuan last year. Lux – perhaps better known for its
fashionable Indian Ocean resorts – has just opened a property in Benzilan, the second hotel in its Tea Horse Road project. The hotel is located along an ancient trade route stretching from the southern province of Yunnan to Tibet,
DESTINATIONS SPRING 2016
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offering guests the opportunity to hike to crystalline glaciers, forage for mushrooms and meditate with Taoist monks. Later this year Alila will bring its unique
combination of modern design and local culture to China when it opens not one, not two, but three new spa-centric hotels. The Alila Anji will be in the heart of Zhejiang province’s mesmerising bamboo plantations – the scenic area used as the backdrop for Oscar-winning Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – while the Alila Yangshuo in the dramatic mountain lakes of the Guanxi region will have a swimming pool leading straight into the waters of the Li River and the Alila Tianxi Lake will be located in the south-east of the country overlooking a stunning lake and golf course. Mega hotel brands are also launching hotels under new spin-off boutique brands that appeal to younger guests, such as Indigo from IHG, Andaz by Hyatt and, more recently, Neqta by Fairmont and Cordis by Langham. Shangri-La has also reshaped its business-orientated
Traders collection to become Hotel Jen, focused on strong design elements, top technology and an intuitive, relaxed service style. Clients with more exuberant fancies will still find plenty on offer too from the big brands, as China fast becomes known for its wonderfully way-out accommodations. Take the horseshoe- shaped Sheraton Huzhou Hot Springs Resort on the banks of Lake Taihu – when reflected on the lake its image forms the lucky figure eight – Luxury Collection’s The Castle Hotel Dalian housed in a Disney-style palace in the hills, or the blade-like 100-storey St Regis Shenzhen. Openings likely to draw more column inches include the larger than life Atlantic Sayan; the Dawang Mountain Resort Changsha, resembling a giant silver spaceship landed atop a rocky gorge; and in Shanghai, a family-friendly Disneyland is being planned, boasting a lavish Art Deco-style hotel and a Toy Story-themed property. Alternatively, very much for the adults is the
Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao, a super-exclusive suburban hideaway, with Adrian Zecha of Aman Resorts
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