The Opposite House
Almost all of Beijing’s hotels are high rise buildings except for one. The Opposite House is a hotel that was conceived by the Swire Group from Hong Kong and designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The 99 room luxury rather boxy looking building is clad in screen-printed glass in shades of green. The space inside offers a dramatic moodily lit atrium with an aura of quiet and intimacy and with an impressive collection of Chinese art. The location is in the Sanlitum neighborhood, a once seedy area but now a thriving area close to the Village of Santiltun, a retail and entertainment complex.
When you arrive you may be a bit surprised as the Opposite House has done away with the traditional reception desk. All check-in procedures are taken care of, by the uniformed staff members, in your room. Think of them as a receptionist-concierge-hand holder rolled into one.
On the lower level of the hotel is the restaurant Sureno. It has a sunken outdoor garden and serves Mediterranean cuisine and is quite popular with the locals. From here there is a catwalk of fiber optic lights that lead you to their other restaurant called Bei. Here, northern Asian cuisine is served. Breakfast is served in the lobby. Lastly, the hotel has a nightclub called Punk and on Thursday, if you can believe it, is Gay night at the ground floor lounge called Mesh. They have two for one drinks until 11PM.
The rooms are big with the average being about 450 square feet. They’re on the spare side but beautifully done with aromatic white oak floors which are heated. The big windows have gauzy curtains but there are also automatic black-out blinds. Standard amenities also include flat screen TV’s, DVD players, a flip-out power/data station beside the desk with every cable you could ever need. There is no charge for Wi-Fi and the rooms mini-bar offers free beer, soda and water.
The bathrooms are unique as well. They all have oak soaking tubs with a glass partition so that you have a clear view of the television. The double sinks with expansive back lighted mirrors; rain shower and separate toilet are also oak clad.
For exercise there is gym that over looks a strikingly attractive stainless steel swimming pool.
In a city that loves big name brand hotels, The Opposite House is a refreshing addition.
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