The hotel is designed around two main elements: exposure to China’s rich cultural heritage, and plush apartment-style accommodations. The striking entryway and lobby are filled with paintings inspired by ancient Chinese art forms, fromgongbibrush works toshui-moink washes, and each of the spacious guest rooms features an original piece of cloisonné metalwork. Not that the pleasures areallquite so high-minded. Each of the spacious residential-style rooms comes with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city skyline, large walk-in closets, and even TV screens built into the bathroom mirrors.

The Peninsula is just a short walk from Tiananmen Square, perhaps not such an auspicious location upon its opening in 1989. But in today's Beijing, the political (if not trade) capital of this most rapidly developing of nations, a business hotel could hardly ask for a better location — the Peninsula is right in the center of the city, surrounded by such landmarks as the Museum of Chinese History, the Great Hall of the People, and Mao's mausoleum. The bustling Chaoyang commercial district (home to many of the foreign embassies) is just to the east, and the major shopping districts are also close at hand.

Many rooms overlook the Forbidden City, a short distance away — you’re fifteen minutes’ walk from Tiananmen Square, and close to the Wangfujing shopping district. Here at PuXuan, however, there’s plenty to tempt you to stay in, from the two restaurants, Rive Gauche and Fu Chun Ju, to the UR Spa and the inner sanctum lounge that is the PuXuan Club.

The prevailing feeling on the grounds of the Aman Summer Palace is one of quiet; unlike the busy tourist site next door, it’s closed to the public, and you’re far more likely to encounter one of some 300 staffers than a fellow guest. There’s a massive hospitality infrastructure beneath the Summer Palace’s surface — both figuratively and literally, with the pools, spa, and fitness center (including Pilates studio and squash court) all located underground.