Let’s face it, from fluffy bathrooms and breakfast buffets through to the knowledge that there will always be someone to clean up after you, a fabulous hotel stay is one of the highlights of a proper holiday. Accommodation options at the top end in China have increased exponentially in the last decade but, in a country that seems to constantly reinvent itself, new options are always welcome. What’s more, 2017 is shaping up to see a bumper crop of openings from some leading players. Here’s the lowdown:
Capella
(Shanghai, Early Summer 2017)
Hurrah! We’ve been waiting forever for a proper boutique hotel in the leafy French Concession. Fifty-five rooms housed in a historic block of old shikumen lane homes and access to the city’s most eclectic shopping and dining should make this a winner with those that like low key luxury. Foodie bonus: Michelin favorite Pierre Gagnaire is opening a French resto here too.
While those in the know won’t be surprised by the continued popularity of 
Forget Gulou– we’re going to go out on a limb and say that Dashilan has the greatest concentration of cool coffee shops per square meter in Beijing. That’s right – from artisanal Soloist Coffee at 39 Yangmeizhu Xiejie (where they brew only the finest and you can recline in old salvaged armchairs) to Berry Beans, an early 20th century brothel that’s been converted into a gorgeous café with a little terrace (No.7 Zhujia Hutong).
Hunan resto The Southern Fish (166 Yangmeizhu Xiejie) flew under the radar for years until they made it onto Travel + Leisure’s hip list. And they’re not the only ones. Inde Japanese chain Suzuki Kitchen (10-14 Yangmeizhu Xiejie) has one of the best spaces on Yangmeizhu – a beautifully zen long room, filled with light and with its own kooky picnic area out front.