The communist regime of China has hardly been associated with ‘hep’ jazz, floating notes, late nights and pink champagne … up until recently. Beijing’s reinvention for a new century began with the announcement of the Olympics to be held in the city, and hasn’t stopped since. One of the places that has most modernized, yet kept a traditional Chinese feel, is Sanlitun. The famous bar street has some very cool nightlife options – one of the most popular are jazz nights. Jazz-ya, the first jazz club in Sanlitun, and also of the best Japanese meals in town, is on Sanlitun’s bar street. Late nights at the Q bar offer George Zhou, a DJ who specializes in jazz … sounds strange, but feels very cool! The Loft is another popular jazz bar in Sanlitun, the low-key accompaniment to the Rock n’ Roll, one of the most popular discos in Beijing. But if you’re in Sanlitun for the hip atmosphere and the nightlife, the district also has some very special offerings in terms of Beijing design hotels and stylish boutique hotels in China.
Hotel G is the newest and most anticipated of these Beijing luxury boutique hotels- even the website exudes cool factor, with a discotheque inspired black and neon design. Architect and designer Mark Lintott, a globetrotter who has designed buildings around Europe and Asia, was the driving force behind Hotel G and it’s jazzy, ultra-groovy atmosphere. Rooms at this Beijing design hotel are described as modernist with a hint of glamour – and in fact, the hotel’s initial stands for ‘Glitzy, Gracious and Glamorous’. Elegant artworks and retro-inspired themes decorate the European loft-style suites at Hotel G, yet the technology is up-to-the-minute, with iPod docking stations and plasma TVs in room, complimentary Wifi in all areas, and a Nintendo Wii on request.
The Beijing fitness center at Hotel G is a unique combination of indoor and outdoor areas – so you don’t need to bring your own music to work out, you can do so to the faint atmosphere of jazz from the bar street! And if you enjoy the Japanese delights at Jazz-ya, you can also get them closer to your Sanlitun accommodation, at Morio, Hotel G’s Japanese restaurant which is a blend of authentic food, and space-age design!
The Opposite House is another of Sanlitun’s hottest and most contemporary hotels. While rooms here are less individual and stylish than Hotel G’s (with the standard white and pale wood dominating), there are quite a few decadent aspects to these luxury Beijing boutique hotel rooms, like rain showers, underfloor heating, and bamboo furniture. The penthouse has a serenity pool, and almost 200 square meters of space, so if you happen to get tired of Sanlitun’s cramped clubs, you can stretch out in comfort at this stylish Beijing hotel. You can warm up for the bar street at one of six fun choices of restaurant and bar at Opposite House.
While peace is not always what comes to mind when people think of Beijing, the Novotel Beijing Peace certainly lives up to its name! If you are the sort that likes to live it up on a bar crawl, and then fall into a deep stupor at your hotel in Beijing to refresh yourself for the next night, Novotel Beijing Peace is a great place to stay in Beijing. The rooms are rich and warm (unlike the city outside!), with velvet upholstery, earthy tones and heavy drapery. The glass walled bar at this luxury Beijing hotel has great views of the city – a bit of eye candy before a big night!
Hotel G Beijing is the first of an exclusive beijing boutique hotel brand launched by Hong Kong-based real estate private equity management firm Gaw Capital – and a model to be rolled out in selected cities of Asia.We are a stylish and exciting new addition to the capital’s boutique hotel scene.
Article Source: Sanlitun's Most Stylish – Nightlife and Designer Hotels in Beijing