Beijing, ChinaSanlitun
Chao Hotel Sanlitun
Sculptural members clubhouse
Sanlitun Beijing, China
Renovated
2016
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Luxe SocialOutside the door
The house
CHAOSculptural members clubhouse
Every room key grants clubhouse membership, opening up multi-level cultural salons, shared workspaces, and contemporary art galleries.
What it’s good at
Notable
Angled concrete facade panels enclose rooms furnished in rich walnut and handworked leather.
Listed
Complimentary tea service and stocked minibars accompany all-access passes to the clubhouse floors.
Listed
Seven member lounges include a sunken amphitheater and a private thirty-two-seat screening cinema.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Also in Wallpaper*.
This place is huge, though never without that crucial veneer of seamless, effortless luxury.
In a lively part of town
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Workers' Stadium dining lines the street outside. The glass pavilions and boutiques of Taikoo Li are a short stroll away.
The rooms
Studio-style rooms catch abundant daylight through floor-to-ceiling glass, finished in an earthy palette with warm hardwood floors.
The rooftop pool
Bring a swimsuit.
The outdoor lap pool stretches across a third-floor timber terrace, set with cabanas on the rooftop garden.
The gym
Exposed concrete beams line the gym, where Technogym equipment sits alongside a wooden water rower.
At the table
The Living Room serves communal plates alongside live jazz, and the Club Bar pours drinks before a 15-meter spirits wall.
Local design firm Citidec took advantage of the triangle-cylinder shaped building to create open-plan yet homey spaces for different experiences, including a library, restaurants, gym and chapel.
How it began
German practice gmp transformed the 1990 Beijing City Hotel, wrapping its triangular tower in sculptural, zig-zagging concrete.
Beijing
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.