The fact that the ultra-discerning (and China-sceptic) Monocle founder Tyler Brûlé jetted in for a single day to stay at CHAO says quite a lot about Beijing’s newest hotel.
It may be right in the center of the Sanlitun chaos, but few will have noticed this exciting new space taking shape. Transforming a formerly drab government hotel from the outside in has taken months – and its understated new façade gives little clue as to the sheer scale of what now lies behind.
Two restaurants, a gallery space to rival the UCCA, 180 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and so many communal spaces and hip meeting rooms we lost count: CHAO has pretty much everything a contemporary hotel should have, and then some.
Like all new hotel brands, it’s going to have to do a lot to prove its worth, particularly when it comes to service. Given the cavernous nature of the lobby, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone greeting guests warmly the moment they arrive in a bid to make them feel more welcome, for example.
But staff are courteous and sweet, and CHAO finally adds another property to Beijing’s scant roster of design-led boutique hotels – which in our book has to be a good thing.
The (sometimes awkwardly shaped) rooms in this re-worked property are nevertheless chic and simple; all decked out with custom walnut wood furniture and hand shaped leather – no wonder Brûlé approves – and the obligatory Nespresso machine, free snacks and WiFi. There’s plenty of natural light too.
One thing CHAO aims to be in addition to a hotel is a workspace – a community hub for like-minded creatives and those in Beijing on business.
Having already played host to a number of high profile brand events, talks and exhibitions in its cool Glasshouse (see below), they may just have the makings of the capital’s first successful SOHO House-type venture. We certainly hope so.
CHAO 4 Gongti Nan Lu, Chaoyang district (+86 10 5871 5588; www.ilovechao.com). Rooms start at around 1,750RMB per night. Want a meaningful travel experience to compliment your stay at CHAO? That’s what Bespoke’s for! Find out more about our fully customised Beijing experiences here.