Pullman — Kaifeng, China

Once the capital of the northern Song emperors, Kaifeng in China’s Henan province looms large once again, this time distilled through the lens of the 186-room Pullman.
What was once a wetland park now houses the two-storey building designed by H2 Architecture Design Group. The interiors by the Singapore-based LTW channel the city’s imperial past, particularly in the use of sloping white roofs, chrysanthemum motifs, ornate lattice dividers, and giant murals with stylized renditions of ancient buildings and urban landscapes.
High windows pull in views of lake and landscaped gardens, an evocative tableau probably best enjoyed while soaking in capacious Ofuro-styled marble bathtubs scented with C.O. Bigelow’s herbal toiletries, savouring teas brewed in a special tea ceremony at Xi Bar, or while tucking into a feisty menu prepped by executive chef Ken Sun. The latter’s Cantonese menu at the hotel’s in-house diner Lu Hua, which includes baked oatmeal sea urchin and lobster infused with duck egg yolks, is ably paired with Kaifeng standards such as mutton soup, and pork dumplings that spill open with hot broth.
Meanwhile, the hotel’s spa is swathed in soft natural limestone and stocked with traditional Chinese therapies, alongside a heated indoor swimming pool, a particular boon during Kaifeng’s snowy winters.
INFORMATION
Website
ADDRESS
No, 16 Longting North Road
Longting District 475000
Kaifeng
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Willy Chavarria: ‘We’re still so stuck in fashion‘s old guard’
As part of the August 2025 ‘Made in America’ issue of Wallpaper*, we invited three creative powerhouses to comment on the state of the States. Here, award-winning American fashion designer Willy Chavarria speaks on creative resilience, uniting with activist groups, and shaking up fashion’s old guard
-
Six Indian artists reframe the ladies compartment of a Mumbai local train
An exhibition by Method (India) at Galerie Melike Bilir in Hamburg explores a gendered space
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s The Fountainhead – a shining example of Usonian design – is now on the market
This quintessential Wright home – built in a vibrant mid-century neighbourhood – was named after a novel inspired by the architect
-
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 its 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
-
2025 getaways: where Wallpaper* editors will be travelling to this year
From 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