Luxury boom in China

Intense competition among luxe hotels popping up across the country and a favourable exchange rate have led to greater value at lower prices

- Sarah Stanley

In the shimmering cities and misty valleys of China, a quiet paradox is unfolding.

Luxury hotels are proliferating across the country. In major cities, these towering properties exude oriental flavour in intricately designed lobbies decorated with delicate Chinese artwork, inviting travellers in with the promise of a restful stay – far from the bustle below.

Farther afield in provinces steeped in nature, luxury accommodation blend seamlessly with their lush surroundings.

There, hotels can look like grand classical Chinese homes – low-rise abodes with ornate rooftops ending in upturned eaves, built around sprawling central courtyards featuring equally expansive water features.

Even as some luxury hotels have shuttered in recent years – casualties of post-Covid-19 debt strains and cut-throat competition – China's high-end hospitality sector is, overall, undergoing a bold renaissance.

The list of recently opened hotels runs long. In cosmopolitan Shanghai, for instance, Hyatt's first luxury urban resort Alila Shanghai debuted in September 2024.

The Shanghai Snow World Hotel – part of hospitality group IHG Hotels' luxury portfolio Vignette Collection – opened in December 2024.

In capital city Beijing, Mandarin Oriental Qianmen opened with 42 courtyard houses in September 2024. And in the city of Suzhou, Banyan Tree Yangcheng Lake resort opened in August 2024 with 70 rooms and villas.

As the travel landscape evolves, the surge in China's luxury hotel openings reflects a confluence of powerful factors: an increase in cross-border travel; the rise of a new, affluent middle class; and travellers' growing appetite for authentic, experience-rich stays.

This growth is especially appealing to Singapore travellers, a market showing renewed enthusiasm for China.