The Urban Edit
Yes you can stay in Beijing’s five star hotels for great views of the CBD, but let’s be honest, downtown cityscapes will never be anything radically new (and those hotels are always a yawn-fest anyway).
No, for real city views (and by that we mean a view of something uniquely Beijing), we’re excited to finally be able to recommend something special – the new Orchid Residence at No 46.
When you think about the world’s ultra-premium hotel chains, Hong Kong can claim a decent slice of the cake (Peninsula, Mandarin Oriental, Langham etc.). Mainland China, on the other hand, lacks any brands with comparable global recognition. But that’s something the NUO Hotel Group is hoping to change this year with their flagship opening, NUO Hotel Beijing. And guess who got an exclusive peek? [Us, duh!]
“Rosewood gives me the feeling that the details are what’s important,” says Clement thoughtfully, twirling the lapel of his tailored three-piece Hong Kong tweed suit. Which is also his uniform, because Clement works in guest relations at the new Rosewood Beijing. In Country Kitchen, the hotel’s casual Chinese restaurant, staff are sporting blue cotton suits that might best be described as Mao chic.
Congratulations to Beijing’s very own The Temple Hotel, recently voted runner-up in Wallpaper Magazine’s list of “Best Urban Hotels 2014” , from a shortlist of 48 leading hotels around the world. JK Place Roma in Italy took the top spot, judged by bigwigs of the design and travel spheres, with Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles joining The Temple Hotel as the second runner-up.
The W has landed, folks! Check out part one of our W Hotel Beijing review, the capital’s hottest new lifestyle / design hotel.
So here we are, sipping Sauv Blanc, munching jellybeans (served in champagne flutes) and thumbing through Chinese GQ. ‘Cos at W Chang’an, that’s how one rolls. From the outside, Beijing’s hottest new hotel is just another shiny box of glass and steel, but the sassy™ lifestyle vibe grabs you even on the forecourt, courtesy of piped music that stands out by not being ‘Molihua’ on sax by Kenny G. (It’s US indie band Wild Belle, according to Shazam).
At Bespoke we’ve had our share of celeb customers (Johnny Depp, Katy Perry, Tyra Banks to name drop a few), and this November some of the most powerful peeps in politics and biz will fly to Beijing for the 26th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.
