As a continent, it is hard to argue that many do hotels better than those in Asia and among Asian countries very few do it better than China. When I flew over to Beijing for the Chinese Motor Show 2016 I was about as excited about the hotel I would be staying in than I was about the cars I would be seeing. A quick google of The Opposite House Beijing peaked my excitement levels further. It looked awesome.
All too often I’ve seen hotels online that fail to meet the select few images their websites portray their opulence to be – The Opposite house is not one of them. As I arrived it was hard to describe the hotel as anything other than ultra modern, it rivaled a number of London art galleries that I walk into think ‘ermmmm’ and very quickly retrace my footsteps back to the entrance and out of the door. That being said, this was no gallery and the towering hand statue and flowing curtains hanging from the ceiling with no real purpose just somehow worked. The atmosphere in the lobby was unlike any other hotel I have visited before, it was bright and airy in the day and dark and moody in the night. The transformation was startling.
Having checked in I took the glass lift up to the third floor, this is no skyscraper, the buttons in the lift do not break into double digits. Swiping my key card and pushing the door I was taken aback by the cleanest of white spaces. The hardwood floors presented warming color against the harsh white. The space was impressive and was divided by panes of glass hugged by light curtains similar to those in the lobby. On the opposite side of the clear panes were two sinks, the monsoon shower and a gorgeous dark wooden square bath. The toilet door was was almost a secret that blended into a wooden wall.
Switching back across to the primary space was the king sized bed, storage space and a working desk all connected by a wall that featured an illuminated cut that ran from one end of the room to the other. At the end opposite to the wardrobe was the floor to ceiling that stretched across the room. Privacy was achieved using remote controlled blinds.
Adjacent to the table was a control panel that allowed visitors to play music through the BOSE ceiling speakers from a number of different devices. This is a feature every hotel I visit should have, it is so relaxing to be able to hop off a plane and into a hotel where you can play your own music through high quality speakers and not be constricted by the wires of headphones.
The room was incredible but things were taken to a whole new level when I went to explore the gym, spa and pool areas in the basement. Coming out of the lift it is dark and slightly mysterious. Turn a corner and the pool greets you in all its glory. Half of the pool area has a glass ceiling that allows light to softly cascade into the pool whilst the other end maintain a dark yet warm orange glow. This soft light continues into the brilliantly equipped gym.
Aside from the gym and pool, time can be spent indulging in Chinese fine dining at the Jing Yaa Tang restaurant the highlight being the traditional roasted Duck. Feeling exhausted after a day at the motor show, I opted for room service that was without a doubt of restaurant standard.
If you’re more inclined to check out the surroundings the hotel is situated in the Chaoyang entertainment and business district that is packed with designer shops from across the globe.
As comfort goes this may be one of the best hotels I have stayed in. The service, rooms and facilities are of the highest order and everything felt homely yet luxurious. The Opposite House Beijing is exceptional.
