Amanfayun

Privacy, discretion, understatement, and above all absolute tastefulness in every conceivable detail: this is the stuff an Aman hotel is made of. At their Hangzhou outpost, set amidst the tea fields and bamboo groves on the outskirts of town, those values translate into forty luxurious courtyard dwellings, designed in the distinctive style of traditional Chinese courtyard homes.

Of course they’ve broken with tradition in the places where it counts. Behind the lush, tranquil courtyards, beneath the pitched wooden roofs and the works of calligraphy, you’ll find vast modern bathrooms, cloud-like king-sized beds, high-end sound systems and plenty of uncluttered space. Throughout, there’s an emphasis on the tactile sense, as in comfortably firm day-beds piled with cushions and radiant underfloor heating to warm the toes.

At the top of the scale, the villas and suites add private spa treatment rooms, though if you’re forced to travel to the hotel’s main spa, surrounded by rustling bamboo and magnolias, you’ll hardly suffer. It’s a world of quiet tree-shaded nooks, fragrant air and meandering stone pathways, with a menu that ranges from traditional Chinese massage to yoga and tai chi.

Outside the sprawling grounds of the resort itself, Hangzhou’s famous West Lake is a short drive away (another benefit, in addition to the tranquil atmosphere, of Amanfayun’s out-of-town location). Closer still are seven of the historic sites on Hangzhou’s Temple Trail. From Amanfayun, you can walk to one of China’s most important and beautifully ornamented Buddhist temples, the sixteen-hundred-year-old Lingyin Si. And walking is indeed the way to to go — because even if you can afford it, a chauffeured car isn’t always the best look.

How to get there: Amanfayun is about an hour's drive from Hangzhou Airport (HGH), which receives regular flights from most major Chinese cities as well as daily flights from Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Seoul, and Singapore. From Shanghai, it’s about a 3-hour drive to Amanfayun, or an hour's ride via high-speed rail.