Sunrise Kempinski Hotel — Beijing, China

The latest hotel to up China’s architectural ante comes courtesy of the Kempinski group. Located an hour’s drive from Beijing, the property is housed in a spherical structure that rises from Yanqi Lake. ‘The circle is symbolic as the beginning in traditional Chinese culture, while the entrance is shaped like a fish’s mouth, symbolising prosperity,’ says its architect Zhang Haoi Ao, of Shanghai Huadu Architect Design Company. The interiors - by international interior design firm DiLeonardo – compliment the structure’s contemporary aesthetic and the building’s curved form affords each of the 21 floors an extra 25 per cent of natural light. The 306 guest rooms and suites offer views of the lake or the Yanshan Mountains, while the hotel’s nine bars and restaurants, offer a range of Chinese regional cuisine as well as international dishes. The pick of the bunch for a pre-dinner cocktail is the top-floor, glass-roofed View’s bar, offering perfect lake vistas.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Yanqi Lake
Huairou District
Beijing 101407
PRC
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Catherine Shaw is a writer, editor and consultant specialising in architecture and design. She has written and contributed to over ten books, including award-winning monographs on art collector and designer Alan Chan, and on architect William Lim's Asian design philosophy. She has also authored books on architect André Fu, on Turkish interior designer Zeynep Fadıllıoğlu, and on Beijing-based OPEN Architecture's most significant cultural projects across China.
-
Sculpture meets jewellery meets sport? Kelly Wearstler’s latest venture is doing something completely new
The designer is launching a new curatorial platform, Side Hustle, free from the limitations of commercial commissions and aiming to foster truly original, experimental and interdisciplinary work
-
Ballman Khaplova creates a light-filled artist’s studio in upstate New York
This modest artist’s studio provides a creative with an atelier and office in the grounds of an old farmhouse, embedding her practice in the surrounding landscape
-
Italy’s most famous recipe book gets a revamp for its latest edition
‘Il Cucchiaio d'Argento’, or ‘The Silver Spoon’, is Italy's best-known recipe book: artist Olimpia Zagnoli and cultural design studio Bunker collaborated on a new look for its latest edition
-
A discreet bolthole adds historic charm to Chongqing’s skyscraper jumble
With a landscape bristling with gleaming towers, Sunyata Ren’ai Hall Hotel quietly emerges as the Chinese city’s most design-forward stay
-
Discover a futuristic bar in Shanghai with mad-scientist energy
Penicillin opens in Shanghai with a clinical steel and concrete design by LC Studio alongside trailblazing, sustainable cocktails
-
A colossal ‘ship’ in Shanghai honours Louis Vuitton’s travel legacy
Louis Vuitton’s The Louis is an OMA-designed hub combining retail, culture and dining in the heart of Nanjing West Road
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the world
Celebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
Prada and Wong Kar-wai dream up a cinematic restaurant in Shanghai
Prada partners with Wong Kar-wai to bring Mi Shang Rong Zhai to life, a dining experience influenced by the arthouse director’s seminal oeuvre
-
Enjoy heritage views and contemporary brews at a new Beijing café
JM Café, White Pagoda Temple by B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio nods to the history of the Xicheng District while injecting a shot of vitality
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy design
There’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
-
China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillity
Alila Shanghai, the brand's first urban resort in Greater China, is a serene bolthole amidst the pulse of the Jing'an district