Mainland Chinese hoteliers are belatedly discovering the charms of repurposing existing buildings, which adds a layer of historical connection to a destination rather than raising yet another bland steel and glass skyscraper. Case in point is Vue in Beijing.
For their 5-star debut, the owners, who already run a chain of 3-star properties, commissioned Singaporean-based studio Ministry of Design to transform a cluster of 1950s buildings located in Hou Hai’s hutong neighbourhood into an 80-room boutique hotel.
The different architectural styles – among them, ornate roof eaves, gargoyles and plain brick walls – have been harnessed under an overarching palette of dark charcoal greys and gold, while lattices inspired by Chinese screens link the different volumes into private balconies and gardens.
There are unexpected moments, not the least of which are giant wireframe rabbits, yellow Ming chairs in irregular shaped guestrooms, and Barcelonan chef Ignasi Prats who sends out into the metal and wood trussed dining room that’s set in a former warehouse building, paella and suckling pig. Meanwhile, the rooftop bar features a Jacuzzi and bucolic views of Hou Hai Lake, though history buffs might venture off to nearby Prince Gong’s mansion and Soong Ching-ling’s former residence.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
No. 9 Yangfang Hutong
-
Lito’s ‘Paris 1925’ jewellery collection lightens strict art-deco codes with a shimmer of sensualityAthens designer Lito Karakostanoglou adds a modern dimension with dancing chainmail earrings, tactile gold layers and an all-round deft touch
-
Introducing Flora Danica, a new Danish perfume house bottling the philosophy of hyggeFlora Danica is a newly launched fragrance house rooted in Danish culture both past and present
-
The future of Salone del Mobile: new report quantifies impact of the world's biggest furniture fairFor the first time, Salone del Mobile reports on its size and impact. ‘Milan Design (Eco) System’ puts Salone into numbers, allowing its future and challenges to be addressed
-
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
-
Wander Hotel in Beijing is an ideal escape for serene moments of introspectionRenovated by Fon Studio, Wander Hotel adds organic symmetry to the adjacent Great Wall of China
-
'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
-
David Chipperfield Architects and Aim Architecture design ceramic-inspired hotel in China’s porcelain capitalDavid Chipperfield Architects and Aim Architecture unite for the Taoxichuan Hotel project in Jingdezhen
