Shangri-La Hotel, Beijing

The palatial megahotels of the Far East are renowned for their state-of-the-art facilities and for their almost absurdly high standard of service — the best hotels in Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong provide an experience so over-the-top as to make the finest Western hotels look like roadside motels by comparison. And as the Chinese economic miracle rolls on, the mainland is modernizing at an astonishing pace, producing, finally, hotels on par with the best in the region.

The Shangri-La chain is at the top of the market in China, with four of the top properties in Beijing and (unsurprisingly) a focus on service above all else. This hotel is slightly out of the way, and perhaps a bit less flashy than its three downtown sisters — but space is at a premium in Beijing, and the Shangri-La has plenty of breathing room, surrounded by lush landscaped gardens, yet just a half hour from the city center and with easy access to Technology Park destinations and the financial district.

This hotel is a global business traveler's dream, with extensive meeting and conference facilities, and a business center. But, as usual, leisure travelers benefit as well, not just from the large and comfortable rooms, but from the incongruously quiet retreat atmosphere (unusual for a massive semi-urban business hotel). Restaurants include strong entries in the Cantonese, Japanese, and Italian categories, and the leisure facilities are comprehensive as well, including an indoor pool. Get used to it — if you travel to the Far East on business now, you will likely be seeing more and more of Beijing in the next few years.