Must-see hotels in China

  • Nomad Homestay

    Sichuan

    Organised by the Khampa Nomad Ecolodge, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay with a genuine nomad family in their tent. Don't expect anything about…

  • Fairmont Peace Hotel

    The Bund & People's Square

    If anywhere in town fully conveys swish 1930s Shanghai, it’s the old Cathay, rising imperiously from the Bund. One of the city’s most iconic hotels, the…

  • Pig's Inn Bishan

    Anhui

    There is no better way to experience the extravagant villas of the Huizhou merchants than to spend a few days living in one, waking for breakfast…

  • Songtsam Choskyi Linka Lhasa

    Lhasa

    Lhasa's most stylish accommodation comes thanks to the Songtsam chain, which runs seven boutique lodges in the Tibetan area of Yunnan. The 50 rooms here…

  • Campus Hong Kong

    New Territories

    Fabulous hostel for university students that also entertains backpackers when rooms are available, but especially during the summer months. The 48 rooms…

  • Peninsula Hong Kong

    Kowloon

    Lording it over the southern tip of Kowloon, the throne-like Peninsula (c 1928) is one of the world’s great hotels. It was once called ‘the finest hotel…

  • Kyichu Hotel

    Lhasa

    The renovated Kyichu is a friendly and well-run choice that’s very popular with repeat travellers to Tibet. Rooms are comfortable and pleasant, with…

  • Upper House

    Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

    For ultraluxe living in designer style, there is no finer Hong Kong hotel – provided you're willing to forgo a pool. Piggybacking on to the top floors of…

  • Waldorf Astoria

    The Bund & People's Square

    Grandly marking the southern end of the Bund is the former Shanghai Club (1910), once the Bund’s most exclusive gentlemen’s hangout. The 20 original rooms…

  • Yangtze Boutique Shanghai

    The Bund & People's Square

    Dating from the 1930s, this art deco beauty was a famous hangout for the glitterati in the swinging 1930s. Splendidly refurbished, it features a sumptuous…

  • Rinchen Family Guesthouse

    Eastern Tibet

    Set on a slope above the Parlung Tsangpo beside Bakha Gompa, this family-run guesthouse is one of the most scenically placed in all of Kham, overlooking…

  • Orchid

    Beijing

    A garden sanctuary in the hutong, the Orchid is Beijing's best-run boutique hotel, going the extra mile with memory-foam mattresses, mobile phones,…

  • Urbn

    Shanghai

    Within a former post office, China’s first carbon-neutral hotel not only incorporates recyclable materials and low-energy products where possible, but…

  • Alila Yangshuo

    Yangshuo

    One of Yangshuo's most memorable stays is this old, Chinese sugarbeet factory – complete with Cultural Revolution slogans – that's been converted into a…

  • Pig’s Heaven Inn

    Anhui

    When Shanghai artist Li Guoyu discovered this Ming dynasty home it was being used as a pigsty (hence the name). She painstakingly restored it, adding an…

  • PuXuan Hotel

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Opened in 2019, the PuXuan (sister hotel to Shanghai's acclaimed Puli) is Beijing's most stylish sanctuary, made for grown-ups who demand the finer things…

  • Astor Hotel

    Tianjin

    China's oldest foreign-run hotel, the Astor dates back to 1863, when it was opened by British missionary John Innocent. Although it's not as luxurious as…

  • Park Hyatt

    Shanghai

    Spanning the 79th to 93rd floors of the towering Shanghai World Financial Center, this soaring hotel sees Pudong’s huge buildings dwarfing into Lego…

  • Khyenle

    Sichuan

    This peaceful guesthouse is part of a renowned art centre and is run by a fluent English-speaking Tibetan woman and her family. At the time of research,…

  • Fleming

    Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

    An updated classic, this Wan Chai boutique hotel evokes the golden age of travel, with 66 clubby rooms bedecked in colonial whites, bottle greens,…

  • InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland

    Shanghai

    The world's first underground hotel, this architectural feat transformed an abandoned quarry lake into a luxury resort. Everything overlooks the water…

  • Khampa Nomad Ecolodge & Arts Center

    Sichuan

    Tibetan/American couple Djarga and Angela run this superb ecolodge way out in the grasslands. There are only four cosy rooms (one of them can just about…

  • This Old Place Youth Hostel

    Guangxi

    At the far end of town near the river is this popular hostel with a lovely backpacker vibe. Split over two buildings, rooms are really pleasant; the south…

  • Mini Hotel Central

    Hong Kong

    We've seen glasses of wine in ritzy Central more expensive than this budget hotel. Of course for this price there has to be a trade-off, and in Mini Hotel…

  • Mandarin Oriental Wangfujing

    Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central

    Ten years in the making (the first MO burnt down in 2009), the Mandarin Oriental was worth the wait. Palatial rooms (at least 55 sq metres) have luxurious…

  • MGM Cotai

    Macau

    MGM Cotai has 1400 impeccable rooms, including duplex sky-lofts and studios, all in a light and refreshing palette. There's also a gym with panoramic…

  • Tuve

    Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island

    From the dungeon-like entrance to the brass-and-concrete slab of a front desk, everything here spells design. Industrial glam continues in the rooms where…

  • DzachuSama Hostel

    Sichuan

    This traditionally styled, large and bright American-owned hostel has some of the most luxurious private rooms you could hope to find in a hostel, all…

  • Yihe Mansions

    Nanjing

    Situated in Nanjing's former legation quarters, Yihe Mansions is a collection of magnificently restored former embassies and homes of military generals…

  • Zabay Guest House

    Xinjiang

    It's quite extraordinary to find this great hostel in fairly remote Kuqa. Run by a young, friendly English-speaking team, it's inside a converted…

  • Rosewood Beijing

    Beijing

    Beijing's most glamorous hotel, the Rosewood seduces with serene public spaces, innovative restaurants and guest rooms of designer furniture, arty curios,…

  • Mandarin Oriental Pudong

    Shanghai

    Slightly tucked away from the Lujiazui five-star hotel melee in a sheltered riverside spot, the 362-room Mandarin Oriental is a visual feast, from the…

  • Mingtown E-Tour Youth Hostel

    The Bund & People's Square

    One of Shanghai's best youth hostels, E-Tour has fine feng shui, a historic alleyway setting and pleasant rooms. But it’s the tranquil courtyard with fish…

  • Yide Guesthouse

    Pingyao

    This impeccable Qing dynasty courtyard house once belonging to a banker and is over 280 years old. As you walk up to the entrance, you'll see the original…

  • Turpan Silk Road Lodge

    Turpan

    To call it boutique might be a slight stretch, but the Silk Road is definitely one of the most atmospheric and charming accommodation options in Xīnjiāng…

  • Flipflop Lounge Hostel

    Chengdu

    Currently the ciy's best hostel, this lively place offers travellers all the usual services plus a few rare gifts – a pool table, a rooftop terrace, and…

  • Yak Hotel

    Lhasa

    The ever-popular Yak has matured in recent years from backpacker hang-out to tour-group favourite, upgrading to a range of comfortable en-suite rooms. The…

  • Hotel Jen

    Hong Kong

    Now part of the Shangri-La group, Hotel Jen feels more luxurious than its price tag suggests. The high-ceilinged, modern rooms are supercomfy with plump…

  • House of Shambhala

    Lhasa

    Hidden in the old town in a historic Tibetan building, the romantic, boutique-style Shambhala mixes the neighbourhood's earthy charm with buckets of style…

  • Cao Tang Inn

    Shanghai

    Not your typical generic backpackers, this friendly and atmospheric hostel is set within a century-old house full of character. Its common area in the…

More destinations you need to see