InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort

Lijiang, high in the mountains of China’s Yunnan Province, is a thriving modern city, if a smallish one by Chinese standards. But it’s best known not for its novel features but for the Old Town of Lijiang, an incredibly well-preserved 13th-century district that’s been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s here, amid the ancient Naxi architecture of the Old Town, that you’ll find the InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort, which is exactly what it sounds like: a substantial modern luxury resort that does its level best to blend in with its richly historical surroundings.

The hotel’s 267 rooms and suites are inspired by the Old Town setting, but are a contemporary tribute, rather than a strict period reconstruction. That is to say, its luxuries are as modern as those you’ll find in any InterContinental, even as the experience is one of a kind. The spa and fitness center are as lavish as the word “resort” suggests, complete with an indoor pool. And the hotel’s restaurants and lounges are led by the flagship 7 Colors Chinese Restaurant, serving Yunnan and Sichuan dishes in a vast and atmospheric dining room.