Bulgari Hotel Beijing stands in the embassy district’s greenest corner, on its own garden by the Liangma river — a rarity in Beijing, where the land value alone explains why almost no luxury hotel has grounds. The interior runs the house’s Roman-dark aesthetic; the bar and Il Ristorante are destinations independently of the rooms.
The hotel’s spa and the 25-metre pool are among the best in the city, and the afternoon tea is a local institution on weekends.
Inside the property
Practical notes
The hotel sits between Sanlitun and the 798 art district — ten minutes in either direction — which makes it the best-located Beijing luxury base for travellers splitting time between shopping and galleries. River-view and garden-view rooms both justify their premium; the courtyard-facing ones are the quietest.
Beijing in the cold months is a different city: empty palace courtyards, clear air over the mountains and the kind of light you do not get in autumn. This route is built around the openings and the cold, not in spite of them.
The former Aman Summer Palace, now run independently under its own name: 51 rooms and suites in Qing-style courtyards a gate away from the Summer Palace, with a private entrance into the gardens.
Inside Beijing’s tallest commercial tower, with direct access to the Guomao metro interchange. The business-district choice for travellers combining China with a few meetings.