Barely a year into its opening, the accolades are already raining on The Opposite House in Beijing like showers in springtime.
Swire Properties’ maiden hotel has made the Condé Nast Traveler US and UK’s 2009 Hot List of the world’s top new hotels, restaurants and spas.
Australian Gourmet Traveller included the 99-suite boutique hotel in its annual 2009 Best of the Best List of the World’s Top 30 New Hotels, while at home, the hotel has made the 2009 Gold List of National Geographic Traveler, China for Best Designed Hotel.
Designed by celebrated Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, every detail of the hotel bears the hallmarks of Kuma – from the pixelated emerald glass façade to the Japanese minimalism in the rooms with generous natural lighting.
The hotel’s restaurants have also come in for high praise. Its Japanese offering Bei makes Condé Nast’s 2009 Hot Tables; the magazine hails the restaurant’s “pristine dishes” and “top notch” sushi. Interestingly, the chef at the helm is not even Japanese but comes from the most American of American cities, New Orleans.
Another restaurant, Sureño, which serves Mediterranean fare, garnered top honors from Time Out Beijing at the magazine’s annual hospitality awards, voted Best New Restaurant of the Year and Best Service, Restaurant of the Year.
