Kerry Hotel, Beijing

Though the Kerry name might fly under your radar, the Kerry Hotel Beijing is, in everything but name, a Shangri-La — a Shangri-La, that is, that’s been thoroughly updated, with an eye towards an increasingly design-sensitive, boutique-trained luxury-hotel clientele. That’s what the Kerry sub-brand is about, and looking at the results, it’s fair to say this isn’t your father’s Shangri-La.

Nor is it a shocking departure. Rather, it’s an evolution, an acknowledgement of the fact that today’s high-end business customer is likely to have a keenly developed visual sense. There’s still a fair bit of marble and gilt — this being a Beijing luxury hotel, after all — but these are mere accents against the backdrop of a sharp-looking modernist-inspired house style. The in-room experience is top-shelf, high-tech and timeless at once, from Toto washlets to complimentary minibars. Choose wisely (or make a special request) and your room’s window will frame a perfect shot of Rem Koolhaas’s CCTV Tower (colloquially known as Big Pants).

Despite the visual makeover, however, the underlying hotel is every inch a Shangri-La. What wasn’t broken hasn’t been fixed — Centro, the Shangri-La’s old jazz bar, is still a local favorite — and the offerings are still top-shelf, including two fine restaurants, a wine bar, and a health and wellness center that might be the city’s most elaborate, including a 35-meter indoor pool.