If your idea of a great hotel is a cocoon of luxury completely removed from the outside world, then Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, is not the place for you. One of the most unique concepts in luxury hospitality, the property is spread across eight alleyways – known as hutong in Chinese – in the heart of Beijing’s historic Qianmen district.
First built in the 13th century, hutong are very narrow streets surrounded by connected courtyard houses. They offer a glimpse of life in Beijing as it once was, which is why staying there is a rare and riveting experience.
It took the Mandarin Oriental more than eight years to transform a series of scattered and abandoned buildings into the 42 rooms and public spaces comprising the property. The painstaking restoration kept most of the fixtures intact – 83 per cent of the original structures have remained pretty much the same – while updating the interiors to meet the high standards of a hotel brand of the Mandarin Oriental’s calibre.
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