Best Luxury Hotels in China

Located on Tsim Sha Tsui East’s waterfront, guests are greeted in Shangri La’s lobby by an indoor three-tier fountain, oversized glittering crystal chandeliers, stunning art and – in the evening – live music. This Asian brand offers some of the largest rooms in the city, in traditional classical style. There are seven places to eat and drink, with an opulent buffet breakfast served at Cafe Kool. Head to the basement and you’ll discover a modern fitness suite, overlooking a plunge pool.

Bringing a little slice of London to the east is The Langham. While the first of the chain was established in the 1800s, this one didn’t arrive in Hong Kong until 2003. Sporting plenty of European elegance with chandeliers, rococo features and Wedgewood china, there’s also a wealth of Chinese art and a fondness for pastels and dusky pink throughout its furnishings. The Chuan Body and Soul Spa includes an outdoor heated pool and hot tub, while the Michelin-starred T’ang has some of the best Cantonese food to be found anywhere on earth.

Stay just a little way from Hong Kong Island, in the hubbub of colourful Kowloon. Hotel Icon, owned by Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has Asia’s largest vertical indoor garden designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc and a Green Cafe – providing a welcome change in a sea of skyscrapers, walkways and roads. Hotel Icon also has 262 rooms, oodles of Chinese artwork, an outdoor pool, three restaurants and an elite glitzy club lounge with free drinks and snacks (for those choosing to upgrade).

On Kowloon’s waterfront lies this 65 storey skyscraper, housing 413 rooms and a superb wellness centre, Asaya Spa, with a huge range of holistic, therapeutic and aesthetic treatments. Guests arrive through a charming cobbled driveway, and cosy lobby, before heading to spacious rooms beautifully designed by Tony Chi – most of which have harbour views. The decor nods toward Hong Kong’s heritage, with more than a hint of 1930s Hollywood glamour thrown in. Rosewood’s art collection is impressive, with work from the likes of Damien Hirst on view. Asian, Western, Indian and steakhouse cuisine are available, as well as a delightful afternoon tea in The Butterfly Room.

Just along from The Ritz is another historic institution – The Peninsula. Opened in 1928 and described as ‘the grand old lady’ of the island, she is a combination of all things modern and classic. Arrive by helicopter (it has its own private landing pad), take tea accompanied by a live orchestra, luxuriate in the spa, enjoy a sundowner on the terrace and dine at seven different eateries. There are 165 sleek and modern rooms in the original section of the hotel, with a further 135 in the new tower. Children are made very welcome too, with their own cheery bedding, bathrobes and cosy slippers.

Suites in this complex on the Cotai stretch boast picture windows and minibars, as well as all the usual perks. As befits the resort’s name, decor is Venetian-themed, with gondola rides along interior canals adding to the illusion. Thirty dining alternatives, including a food court, cater for all tastes, while other attractions provided on site are shops, a gym, swimming pools, live entertainment and a casino. And if guests should want a change of scene, the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel is within easy reach of all the sights.

This upmarket hotel bypasses rooms and offers suites providing all that guests would expect, such as a living-room with sofa, and Club upgrades giving access to a private lounge and complimentary breakfasts. Food and drink options include a ballroom, French café, afternoon tea and poolside bar – there are two outside pools – and also a spa and fitness centre. Added bonus points are the superb views from its location at the top of Cotai’s Galaxy Macau entertainment complex, a shopping mall, ten-screen 3D Cineplex, and the closeness of the Ritz-Carlton Macau to essential sightseeing.

Situated on the buzzing Cotai Strip, the hotel has opted for the Portuguese spelling of Macao, together with an Iberian-style facade that combines with Asian influences for a sumptuous interior. Connected to the Plaza Casino, the building is a short walk from the Cirque du Soleil Macau, an eight-minute drive to the Macau Tower, and five from Caesar’s Golf Club. It’s also close to air and ferry terminals. Five outdoor swimming pools include a lagoon pool, with cabanas housing 42-inch screen TVs, while the spa contains fourteen treatment suites. Four Seasons Macao restaurants offer Chinese and European cuisine, while rooms are luxuriously-equipped, with housekeeping including a daily ice delivery.

This stylishly tapered glass palace looks out over Nam Van Lake and the Outer Harbour, giving wonderful vistas from all bedrooms, the gym and the heated outdoor pool. Its location is also convenient for the Macau Tower and the Ruins of St. Paul’s, at two and four kilometres respectively. Rooms feature free WiFi, coffee machines, and flat-screen televisions that show in-house movies. Another TV waits in the marble bathroom, while suites include private bars. Two restaurants, one Chinese and one international, are supplemented by a cake shop, and a lounge and bar both serving snacks, while the spa at the Mandarin Oriental Macau restores that sense of well-being.

Experience the future at this newly-opened innovative Morpheus hotel, named after the Greek god of dreams. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architecture as the first free-form high building supported by a skeleton steel sculpture, it challenges the need for the clutter of internal walls. A bridge connects two towers, while high speed lifts whisk guests upwards for panoramas of both the interior and the skyline. The Morpheus Macau lives up to its other title as the City of Dreams with high-class facilities that include an art collection, restaurants with top chefs, and a rooftop sky pool, plus rooms, suites, villas and upgrades offering every amenity.

If you’re looking for five-star luxury of the highest order, you need go no further than this gem, situated just two kilometres from the airport and eight from the Macau Tower. Guests who have spent enough in the casino can browse the art gallery, make use of the gym, spa and outdoor pool, or travel on the cable car. Twelve restaurants and cafés, a cocktail bar, a dancing fountain and meeting rooms complete the facilities at the Wynn Palace Macau, while spacious bedrooms with full-length windows boast every amenity, and upgrades include suites, butler service and in-room massages.