Best Hotels in the World, Pt. 1

Aman at Summer Palace is an exquisite resort in Beijing set in the courtyards where visitors would wait for their audience with the Dowager Empress in the 19th century. It has its own private entrance to the Summer Palace so you can slip in for early morning Tai Chi or to watch the sunset when the sun appears to slip into Kinming Lake.

You'll feel like an Emperor or Empress in suites are set in pavilions overlooking inside courtyards. The century-old original wooden beams that line the high ceilings are complimented by the clean lines and interlocking squares of the Ming Dynasty-style furniture. There's a cultural pavilion where you can try Chinese calligraphy as well as an outpost of renowned Hong Kong stylist, Kim Robinson, an Aman Spa, and a Pilates studio. At Naoki, the chef prepares traditional Japanese Kaiseki cuisine using French techniques. Kaiseki is like artistic tapas, small plates designed to stimulate the eyes as well as the taste.

I’ve been to all of the major hotels in Beijing for a piece I did for the late, lamented Cigar Report on the best places to enjoy a cigar during the Olympics (smoking ban be damned). The Aman at Summer Palace (which has a Cigar Room off the bar) is in a class of its own.


Aman at Summer Palace
No.15 Gongmenqian Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China

http://www.amanresorts.com/amanatsummerpalace/details.aspx