AS8-9 dec5 2/12/08 15:46 Page 57
ttglive.com
asia knowledge
Beijing hotel
China chic
Checking out
The Opposite House
Beijing
This cutting-edge and chic
hotel is definitely the yin
to Beijing’s historical yang,
says Charlotte Walsh
P
ulling up outside Beijing’s
Opposite House hotel I spied two
gleaming Lamborghinis, and
there’s a polished Maserati
Quattroporte parked round the corner.
In a city where hotels’ car parks are full
of corporate Mercedes and BMWs, these
beauties were a slice of unadulterated style.
It didn’t take me long to get the message:
The Opposite House is hip. The entrance is
bursting with contemporary Chinese art, the
staff are super-trendy, and the hotel has its
own cocktail bar and nightclub.
In my beat-up cowboy boots and comfy
leggings, I felt thankful I had packed a few
glam outfits as well – this clearly wasn’t the
place to look like a scruff.
The Opposite House opened in August and
has already proved a hit with movie moguls
and arty types. During my stay, 42Below
vodka hosted a film party, and Lamborghini
was also entertaining clients (hence the cars).
Art and design are big draws at this hotel.
It was designed by Japanese architect Kengo
Kuma and even I could tell he’d pulled out
all the stops. In the lobby, gigantic sheets of
steel mesh swing down from a skylight in the
roof and the first floor combines a bar, sofa
area and restaurant with striking art displays.
All this makes the hotel a bit of a
chameleon. By day there’s an abundance of
natural light and cavernous spaces. Then by
night the lights drop and it seems more like
a sexy bar than a hotel.
My bedroom was particularly impressive,
Turn to 58
05.12.2008 57
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72