Eclat Beijing

Look past Éclat Beijing’s futuristic glass-pyramid casing, and the hotel inside turns out to be one of the most high-functioning, high-pleasure business hotels in the city. And that’s saying something in a city whose hotels are undergoing something of an arms race for the business traveler, each filling its rooms with sharper and bigger screens, cushier beds and broader desks and bigger, swankier bathrooms.

The location in the Parkview Green development in Chaoyang, the central business district, is about as convenient as it gets for business, though given the extent of the comforts and conveniences on offer within the hotel itself, you may not want to leave the premises. In the tech department, an enormous 3D LCD TV with Blu-Ray, a second LCD TV in the bathroom, a Bang & Olufsen audio system and a Panasonic massage chair come standard in every room; it almost feels superfluous to mention the free high-speed wi-fi or the iPod/iPhone dock. All the right names are attached to the amenities: Miller Harris bath products, Illy capsule coffee, a Philippe Starck chair at the work desk, even Riedel glassware for the well-stocked in-room bar.

At a certain point, it just starts to feel like a hotel version of name-dropping. Take the art; there are original works by Dalí and Warhol and several contemporary Chinese masters sprinkled liberally throughout. And in the same Parkview Green development, you’ll find outposts of Din Tai Fung (possibly the world’s greatest dumpling house) and Hubert Keller’s Burger Bar, among others, plus shops from the likes of Stella McCartney and Ted Baker and Agent Provocateur — not to mention a Tesla dealership, should you wish to make a $100,000 impulse buy. Of course if the short walk to the restaurants and shops is just too much trouble, you can always call a butler. He’ll make his way to your room at the literal press of a button.

Travel advisory: Passport and visa requirements differ from country to country. Please check with your local authority before booking.