A Refreshing New Vision of Luxury and Service in Beijing

Hong Kong's celebrated sense of style has arrived in Beijing with the launch of Swire Hotels' flagship property, The Opposite House. A completely stunning design triumph in the chic Sanlitun district, The Opposite House unfolds as an archetypal dream destination. Located in the former diplomatic quarters and a half an hour drive from Beijing's international airport, it's the kind of residential hotel you can imagine staying for long enough to write a book - or at least a taut, tryst-filled novella.

The Opposite House is the first of a number of hotels being developed in China, Hong Kong and the UK by Swire Hotels, which will all be distinctive hotels, each uniquely designed by renowned architects and designers. From a historical, psychological and financial point of view, The Opposite House is an interesting approach to a hotel. The Opposite House and it's sister property The Upper House are purpose-built to show off Swire's financial prowess. That is to say, not a whole lot on this site is pre-fab. As anyone with a seasoned eye can tell you upon site inspection, much of the gorgeousness on display is custom and venue-specific. For a transnational corporation with seriously impressive holdings in aerospace, property, deep-sea shipping and agriculture, The Opposite House is a fitting "Jewel in the Crown".

An Exercise in Haute Hospitality

The hotel opened during the 2008 Olympic Games and is one of the finest examples of the new Beijing, blending a historic sensibility with a refined contemporary creativity. Clean geometric lines and minimalist decor create a feeling of wide open space as you move around the hotel. Moreover the expansive lobby looks like the kind of place the editorial team from Wallpaper* magazine might choose to hold an off-site issue meeting. With a playful Alice in Wonderland sense of scale, the lobby is divided by a floor-to-ceiling gigantic modernist take on the traditional antique Chinese cabinet - one of my favourite design features by far.

As might be expected of such an original endeavour, The Opposite House is not a product of industry standard hotel culture. It's the fresh air culmination of ideas from a team of young, like-minded creative types who envisioned a much more interesting guest experience than that on offer from the cookie-cutter hotels in this Asian metropolis. Perhaps it's the professional way it's run, or intoxicating mix of simultaneous solitude and buzz, or the manner in which the hip on-site bars and restaurants coexists seamlessly with the private accommodation.

An Impressive Display of Minimal Majesty

This is a place for travelers who like their hushed atmosphere pared down and contemporary. Simple and coolly confident, The Opposite House's interiors and bold geometric architecture make for an unexpectedly attractive package. The facade is a checkerboard of green glass squares in different hues. The entrance of the hotel leads into its large central atrium, which stretches up five floors alongside the elevators to the ceiling. On the ground floor near the entrance, two large, low slabs of black marble play host to contemporary art installations on a revolving basis.

Designed by star architect Kengo Kuma, the hotel's 99 guest rooms are among the largest in Beijing with more than half being over 70 square meters. The rooms are strikingly simple with natural wooden floors and subtle touches of Chinese décor. It's the structural design that really sets it apart as something special. Given a minimalist brief, the architects stripped the 99 rooms down to their bare necessities, removing the traditional barrier between bathroom and bedroom. Only a clear glass wall and a thin chic curtain separate the two, making the room seem that much bigger. The Opposite House guestrooms redefine spacious - immaculately tidy and contemporary.

More than anything, the suites are a triumph of simplicity. It's not easy to make a place look spectacular with very little decorative ornamentation. It's a blend of good choice of colour, interesting selection of furniture and the omnipresent avoidance of clutter. The walls of the corridors are lined with oak planks, and in the guest rooms, the oak floors invite visitors to go barefoot and feel the ridges of the wood against their soles. Surprisingly, this simple pleasure - padding around the room feeling usually cursive grain of the oak massage the soles of my feet - remains one of the lingering, pleasurable memories of this property.

Here, the standardized conventions of hotels are being rewritten; there's no fixed check-in or departure times, and the well-stocked mini-bar is complimentary. Imagine that. A genius gesture that's inspired instant devotion and struck a chord with wary travelers sick of being fleeced $8 USD for a "middle-of-the-night" tin can of Planter's Peanuts. My delightfully stocked mini-bar featured local and imported beer, a selection of classic sodas, fine coffee and teas, high-end Japanese roasted wasabi peas, and European chocolate hazelnut wafers. Everyday, the roster of treats refreshed itself as if by magic.

Style is important to the Chinese, but you'd never have known it judging by their recent efforts in the boutique hotel business. Surveying the field, it looks like a lot of function over form. Beijing still offers enough noodle shops, bicycles and kitsch to keep the traveler's fairytale alive, but the 21st Century Contemporary movement emerges in perfect form with The Opposite House, attracting a new generation of cosmopolitan visitors.

Most Impressive Feature:

A giant skylight shines down seven storeys into the steel-lined swimming pool two floors below ground. Around the pool, the steel blue of the water flickers off sensual oriental poppy walls and wooden decking.

The Gulp Effect: The cinematic pulse of walking the corridors, the heady sensation that you're starring in your own version of a Wong Kar-Wai Romantic Thriller.

Hip Factor:

From one painfully haute and hip hairstyle to the next, this hotel offers the best looking staff in the city. Full Stop. Staffers are young, dynamic and impeccably dressed. You could cast a Universal blockbuster romantic comedy from the crew at The Village Cafe and Mesh to the high-octane teams at Sureno and Bei. Delicious.

Tastiest On-Site Dish:

A la plancha 300gr. waygu rib eye at Sureno, The Opposite House's Flagship Dining Experience.

Tastiest Off-Site Dish:

Whole Roast Duck at Duck de Chine - Beijing's most stylish, most innovative duck restaurant featuring China's first Bollinger Champagne Bar.

The Opposite House

010-64176688

www.theoppositehouse.com

By Si Si Penaloza, Editorial Director, WOMAN.ca

Si Si Penaloza
		About the author:
		Si Si has cultivated strong ties with editors, producers and publishers at all major Canadian media outlets. She is a seasoned print, radio and broadcast specialist. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in Maine, Si Si moved to Manhattan to study Film at New York University. Her strengths lie in contextualizing relevant content for a broad audience. She's driven to stay competitive and at the top of the market - commissioning exclusive features and launching bold initiatives.
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