The Commune by the Great Wall, developed and owned by SOHO China, is the only hotel in China which has been selected by the Cond Nast Traveler, one of the world most influential travel magazines published by Cond Nast Publications, as one of the 100 Hot Hotels in 2004.
The following is the article on the May, 2004 issue of the Cond Nast Traveler.
Commune by the Great Wall
Yanqing County
Most hotels in China are standard-issue high-rises set in charmless new downtowns. But the Commune by the Great Wall has introduced an entirely new vernacular. This decidedly capitalist commune is composed of nine villas designed by some of Asia s greatest architects, all within view of an especially magnificent stretch of the Great Wall. Originally intended as a condominium complex, the leafy compound was instead transformed into a most unlikely hotel one that s popular with foreigners and image-conscious companies such as Missoni, Porsche, and Shiseido. The spectacular views alone are worth the price. Accommodations range from Kengo Kuma s popular Bamboo Wall, with its gorgeous teahouse surrounded by water, to the Split House of Yung-ho Chang, China s most important architect, suspended over a stream at the bottom of a tiny gorge. Although each villa has its own designer kitchen, there is also a restaurant with both Western and Chinese chefs.
When to go: September through mid-October, when Beijing enjoys mild and sunny weather.
Which room to book: That depends entirely on your budget, tastes, and the size of your party; all villas have at least four bedrooms (villas, $850-$1,250; wheelchair-accessible).
Contact:
86-10-8118-1888; www.commune.com.cn
This year s Hot List our biggest ever is literally all over the map: 42 countries (from Antigua to Uruguay) on six continents (sorry, Antarctica). Prices range from the sublime ($57 a night) to the ridiculous ($2,675). And hotel size runs the gamut from the truly petite (just one suite) to the strapping (1,310 rooms). As usual, we provide the tools to glean the most from your stay, from when to go and which room to book to an at-a-glance guide to the amenities on offer. Is there a pampering spa? A breathtaking beach? Round-the-clock room service?
Only one thing is certain: With 100 hotels, there s something for absolutely everyone:
United States
Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach,
California
Ledson Hotel, Sonoma, California
Four Seasons Hotel, Miami, Florida
The Raleigh, Miami Beach, Florida
Le Meridien, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Alluvian, Greenwood, Mississippi
The Hotel, Las Vegas
Wentworth by the Sea, New Castle, New Hampshire
Inn of the Five Graces, Santa Fe, New Mexico
El Monte Sagrado, Taos, New Mexico
Mandarin Oriental, New York City
The Maritime, New York City
Inn at Price Tower, Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Hotel Icon, Houston, Texas
The Magnolia, Houston, Texas
Hotel Valencia Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas
Watermark Hotel and Spa, San Antonio, Texas
Four Seasons Resort, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Australia
Moog Hotel, Sydney
Austria
Le Meridien, Vienna
Palais Coburg, Vienna
Bahamas
Four Seasons Resort Great Exuma, Emerald Bay
Brazil
Fasano Hotel,S o Paulo
Canada
H tel Le Germain, Toronto
Caribbean
Carlisle Bay, Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Sofitel Nicolas de Ovando, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Chile
Ritz-Carlton, Santiago
China
Commune by the Great Wall, Yanqing County
Costa Rica
Four Seasons Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
Czech Republic
Aria Hotel, Prague
Denmark
Hotel Skt. Petri, Copenhagen
England
Barnsley House, Barnsley
Hotel Felix, Cambridge
The Grove, Chandler s Cross
Malmaison, London
Number Sixteen, London
Whatley Manor, Malmesbury
Hart s Hotel, Nottingham
Estonia
Three Sisters Hotel, Tallinn
France
Domaine des And ols, Apt
L Hermitage Gantois, Lille
Hi H tel, Nice
Palais de la M diterran e, Nice
H tel Le A, Paris
Plaza Paris Vendome, Paris
Villa Marie, Ramatuelle
French Polynesia
Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa
Germany
Ku Damm 101, Berlin
Ritz-Carlton, Berlin
25 Hours, Hamburg
Greece
Hotel Grande Bretagne, Athens
Iceland
Hotel Budir, Budir
101 Hotel, Reykjav k
India
Park Hyatt, Goa
Aman-i-Kh s, Rajasthan
Indonesia
Kayumanis, Bali
The Mansion, Bali
Italy
Continentale, Florence
Una Hotel Vittoria, Florence
Villa La Vedetta, Florence
Park Hyatt, Milan
3 Rooms, Milan
Methis Hotel, Padua
Il Palazzetto, Rome
Residenza Napoleone, Rome
Vigilius Mountain Resort, South Tyrol
San Clemente Palace, Venice
Japan
Grand Hyatt, Tokyo
Jordan
Four Seasons Hotel, Amman
Latvia
Hotel Bergs, Riga
Maldives
Cocoa Island, Cocoa Island
Mexico
One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos
W, Mexico City
Morocco
Les Jardins de la Koutoubia, Marrakech
Mozambique
Quil lea, Quil lea Island
New Zealand
Otahuna Lodge, Tai Tapu
Delamore Lodge, Waiheke Island
Glass House, Waiheke Island
Poland
Hotel Rialto, Warsaw
Portugal
Hotel Olissippo Castelo, Lisbon
Saudi Arabia
Four Seasons Hotel at Kingdom Centre, Riyadh
Scotland
Glasshouse, Edinburgh
Seychelles
North Island, North Island
South Africa
Kwandwe Ecca Lodge, Eastern Cape
The Outpost, Kruger National Park
Singita Lebombo/Singita Sweni, Kruger National Park
Spain
Gran Hotel La Florida, Barcelona
Hotel Omm, Barcelona
Convent de la Missi , Palma de Mallorca
Switzerland
La R serve, Geneva
Greulich Hotel, Zurich
Thailand
Metropolitan, Bangkok
Costa Lanta, Koh Lanta
The Racha, Koh Racha
JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa, Phuket
United Arab Emirates
Mina A Salam, Dubai
Residence & Spa at One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai
Chedi Muscat, Oman
Uruguay
Cipriani Punta del Este Resort, La Barra
Worldwide
Queen Mary 2