InterContinental Hangzhou Liangzhu

Despite what its name might suggest, the InterContinental Hangzhou Liangzhu is not quite a luxury hotel designed in tribute to the prehistoric Liangzhu culture that flourished here during the Neolithic era. Rather, it’s a top-flight business hotel from IHG that’s set in suburban Hangzhou, ten minutes’ drive from the David Chipperfield Architects–designed Liangzhu Museum, on the UNESCO-listed site of Liangzhu Ancient City.

The hotel’s designers, Hirsch Bedner Associates, did in fact draw some of their aesthetic inspiration from the Liangzhu culture, with details in jade, stone, and bronze to complement the sleek contemporary spaces; for the uninitiated, the result is another powerfully luxurious InterContinental hotel with a look that’s nothing if not memorable. Rooms begin at a very generous 45 square meters, and the comforts, as you expect from this brand, are state-of-the-art.

Leisure facilities include an indoor and an outdoor swimming pool, and there’s plentiful meeting space for travelers who require it. The Liangzhu cultural attractions are immediately to hand, while downtown Hangzhou is a manageable drive. And the hotel’s restaurants include the all-day Commune, mixing Western and Hangzhou flavors, and Sakana, an intimate Japanese option.