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HONG KONG

Sail around Victoria Harbour in style with The Peninsula Hong Kong

The Peninsula Hong Kong is arguably the city’s best-known hospitality landmark, and is famous for its lobby afternoon tea and luxuriously furnished suites with enviable views of Victoria Bay. Go on its Symphony of Lights yacht cruise, which sails around the harbour at dusk for about an hour before pausing for the city’s nightly laser show.

Tuck into three Michelin-star Cantonese cuisine at The Langham’s T’ang Court

Sample refined Cantonese fare at The Langham Hotel’s T’ang Court, a three Michelin-star establishment since 2009 that is patronised by major gourmands. Signatures are the double-boiled fish maw soup, smoked sliced cod fish with honey syrup and braised noodles with whole fresh abalone.

Soak up city views from the Island Shangri-La

Located in Admiralty, The Island Shangri-La is a grand five-star property known for its chandeliers and murals. The suites on the 40th floor and above come with incredible views of Kowloon and the Central district. The hotel has a Chinese restaurant, a boisterous Lobster Bar and Grill with live musicians at night, and a Horizon Club lounge where you can take in the twinkling cityscape with a drink.

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Relax on a spa date at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong

At Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, the Plateau Spa offers spa suites which guests can check in to. The massage treatments are delivered in comfortable treatment rooms, where delightful quesadilla and floral tea await you after an invigorating massage. The harbourfront property has gorgeous views.

Order a sunset cocktail at the spanking new Kerry Hotel Hong Kong

The André Fu-designed Kerry Hotel Hong Kong is located in Kowloon’s Hung Hom area – you might have recognised its famous pool from many influencers’ social media accounts – and its windows beautifully frame Hong Kong’s million-dollar bay view.

The hotel’s Hung Tong restaurant serves solid Cantonese cuisine (including some of the best dim sum in Kowloon) while Big Bay Café is popular for its mega buffets. The best place to chill with a refreshing cocktail or two is on the alfresco terrace at Red Sugar.

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Costing an extraordinary HK$9 billion, from the acquisition of the building through public bidding, to the complete renovation and conversion of this heritage government building into a five-star hotel, there is nothing ordinary about this luxury haven tucked away in an elegant green enclave. A thoroughly modern designer masterpiece by Foster + Partners, the hotel looks out on some of Hong Kong’s best-preserved colonial buildings. The Garden Lounge serves classical three tiers at tea time while Popinjays, with its light-drenched interior, tempts with modern European dishes.

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SHENZHEN

Explore Futian from the comfort of the Shangri-La

Futian is the central business district of Shenzhen. Reflecting the ambitions of the city as a tier 1 aspirant to rival Hong Kong across the water, gleaming towers of all shapes and heights flank the district’s main artery right above the underground Futian Checkpoint Station. Here stands the Futian Shangri-La. Besides the great location, guests can enjoy several fabulous restaurants (Shang Garden stands out with its delectable Huaiyang creations by renowned chef Anthony Dong) and the promise of pampering at Chi, The Spa.

Try your hand at calligraphy at the Four Seasons Shenzhen

Shenzhen offers a valuable introduction to Chinese culture through basic art forms like calligraphy. At the Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen, the concierge team can plan a session with a calligraphy master who will be happy to enlighten you about the meaning of various brush strokes.

Eat delectable Cantonese food at the Grand Hyatt Shenzhen

Renowned chef Scott Xu’s Cantonese cuisine takes centre stage at Grand Hyatt Shenzhen’s China Lodge. Traditional roasts, well-loved Shunde staples and nourishing soups may be the reason Xu is one of Shenzhen’s rising young chefs. A bowl of his double-boiled sturgeon soup after an invigorating massage at the ultra elegant Shui Xiang Spa is the ultimate indulgence.

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GUANGZHOU

Soak up the views from a bathtub at the 100-storey Four Seasons Guangzhou

Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou is currently the city’s tallest hotel and you can be sure that the building’s height is used to its fullest advantage: spectacular views of the Pearl River Delta are guaranteed, and a bathtub set next to such a vista is an unmatched delight. The view can also be enjoyed while dining on Japanese fare in Kumoi, on the 100th floor.

Attend the Canton Fair at Langham Place Guangzhou

The next two editions of the Canton Fair will be held in October and November 2019, and the staggering number of exhibitors showcasing anything from furniture to fabrics and building materials will truly boggle the mind.

Langham Place Guangzhou is one of a cluster of luxury hotels situated next to the exhibition complex. With good restaurants, an executive club lounge and a spa, there are options aplenty for guests to work, connect and play.

Sit down to Mao Feng tea at Hotel Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich

Guangzhou is a tier one city and its executive club lounges are always packed with CEOs and business magnates. One such lounge is Club Millesime at Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich, which serves Chinese teas not easily available elsewhere in the city. Try Mao Feng, a refined green tea from Anhui that is also one of China’s most famous brews, best enjoyed with an unorthodox durian puff amid other classical teatime treats.

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Queue up for early-morning dim sum at Guangzhou’s White Swan Hotel – it’s worth the wait

In Guangzhou, the habit of drinking tea with two parcels of dim sum is alive and well, and at the White Swan Hotel, this practice is a treasured tradition that sees the dining hall packed with patrons from the crack of dawn. The cow’s tongue pastry and claypot sandworm congee on the dim sum menu are our firm favourites.

BEIJING

Take flight over the Great Wall with the Four Seasons

Want to hover over parts of the Great Wall at Mutianyu for a bird’s-eye view? The Four Seasons Beijing will send you off in a limo – with a packed breakfast – to the site, from where a helicopter will fly you over sections of the wall untainted by mass tourism. That, and the panorama of the surrounding ridges and cliffs, easily make this one of the best things to do in Beijing.

Feast your eyes on a private contemporary art collection at Hotel Éclat Beijing

Founded by George Wong, Hotel Éclat Beijing combines museum and hotel under one roof.

Boasting a treasure trove of monumental pieces by the likes of Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali, as well as modern Chinese artists Chen Wen Ling and Gao Xiao Wu, the open spaces here are lavishly filled with art. The suites are set with luxurious accents like grand pianos, LED lighted bathtubs, and private pools installed with swim current machines.

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Step on the world stage and book a suite in the China World Summit Wing Hotel Beijing

Located in Beijing’s central business district, the 80-storey China World Summit Wing Beijing by Shangri-La towers on top of the China World Shopping Mall is where world leaders often stay on their visits. The handsome suites are spacious with grand vistas. The Grill 79 and Atmosphere outlets attract the city’s top financiers with their mix of fine dining, elaborate panoramas and good cocktails.

Explore the Forbidden Palace Museum with The PuXuan as your base

The PuXuan Hotel and Spa is one of Beijing’s newest luxury hotels, popular not only for its strategic location – it is situated on the periphery of the palace district – but also for its sleek interior, a blend of classical elements and modern accents (such as eel leather details on the wall). It is only a 20-minute walk to the Forbidden Palace Museum.

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Life’s a picnic at the historic Jing Shan Park with The Opposite House

Swire’s The Opposite House in Beijing is situated in the trendy Sanlitun district, so it is probably no surprise that the aesthetic is modern-minimalist. Among the luxury curated services on offer is a picnic in Jingshan Park, led by a knowledgeable guide. The experience includes a basket of gourmet delicacies, to be savoured while admiring the view of the Forbidden City. The alfresco meal is followed by a tour of the Bell and Drum Tower and the old hutongs nearby, with insights into the history and present-day realities of this heritage enclave.

Wine, dine and watch a film at the art-filled CHAO Sanlitun Beijing

CHAO Sanlitun Beijing is located in the chic Sanlitun area and is a designer boutique hotel. A patchwork of galleries and event spaces with routine exhibitions add to the contemporary milieu. On site is an avant-garde chapel called the Glasshouse, said to be very popular for staging marriage proposals. The restaurants and lounges are art deco-inspired and serve afternoon tea and intimate dinners with live jazz performances. Movie fans can head to the plush Cinema Club for art-house screenings.

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Meet the artists with the Art Academy programme at The Peninsula Beijing

A recently renovated landmark hotel in the Wangfujing area, The Peninsula Beijing has set in place an Art Academy programme, through which hotel guests get to meet contemporary Beijing-based Chinese artists, such as sculptor Gao Xiao Wu and painter Wu Jing. The artists offer tours of their studios and share the thoughts behind their creative process. Their works are dotted around the property.

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