Hong Kong-based design studio CCD has recreated a slice of old China in the midst of Hangzhou’s central business district, along the edge of the Qiantang river. The 162-room Diaoyutai – dubbed by local wags as Downton Abbey – takes its structural cues from the traditional Chinese courtyard home in which social spaces radiate from a central core, here the lobby and all-day dining restaurant.
The aesthetics layer abstract Orientalism by way of pavilions and landscaped gardens of rocks and pine which, in turn, are framed by smart French windows. White and beige leather blend with natural timber, stone and metal finishes.
At 60 sq m or more, the guest rooms – over half of which feature river views, whilst a third open onto balconies – are spacious cocoons linked by a hallway, and a walk-in cloakroom lined with three full-length mirrors. The riffs on local architectural motifs include traditional brick paving patterns, and handcrafted copper pots alongside silk screens, lacquerware and Chinese armoires.
Meanwhile, the spa includes a 20m lap pool and a yoga room, but it’s the in-house restaurants that draw the attention – especially Royal Court, which serves upscale local delicacies, while the more casual Pinju Hangzhou makes the mark with Shanghainese standards.
Information
Address
No 65 Wuxing Road
Jianggan District
Hangzhou
-
Santa Monica hotspot The Georgian Room is a rare, well-done steakhouse speakeasyHidden inside The Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica, a restored speakeasy that lovingly nods to its storied past
-
In St Barths, Cheval Blanc is an oceanside oasis soaking in turquoise viewsFollowing its 10th anniversary, Cheval Blanc St-Barth continues to shine as a pearl of the Caribbean
-
We celebrate the emerging London architects to be excited aboutThese emerging London architects are some of the capital's finest ground-breakers, movers and shakers; heralding a new generation of architecture
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillityAlila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this yearFrom the Japanese art islands of Naoshima and Teshima to the Malaysian tropical paradise of Langkawi, here’s where Wallpaper* editors plan to travel to in 2025
-
Travel back to the Ming dynasty at Beijing’s new Mandarin Oriental hotelMandarin Oriental Qianmen merges traditional culture with contemporary needs in a 600-year-old historical building complex
-
Inside Palazzo Versace Macau, a lavish, mosaic-rich hotelPalazzo Versace Macau, the brand’s first hotel in Asia, continues to preserve Donatella Versace’s swanky hospitality vision
-
'Retreat and recharge' in Yanbai Villa on a secluded Beijing shorelineYanbai Villa wraps guests in quiet luxury, opening its doors on a secluded Beijing shoreline
-
The Karl Lagerfeld Macau hotel oozes opulence conceived by the late designerThe Karl Lagerfeld Macau hotel is a five-star extravaganza at the Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, China, designed by the late fashion mogul and set to open in July 2023
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
West Kowloon wonders to discover nowCultural and culinary adventures, extraordinary spaces and outstanding experiences in West Kowloon, Hong Kong
