Tucked away in a mountain valley outside Beijing, the Commune by the Great Wall is a break from the norm on China's contemporary hotel scene.
Recently selected as one of Conde Nast Traveller's Hot in the world - the only one in China - the Commune is a designer hamlet of 11 villas situated is a couple of kilometers (and half-a-universe) away from the tourist bus kitsch of the Great Wall at Badaling.Opened in 2002, the US$24 million "showcase of contemporary Asian architecture" was built by Beijing's SOHO China Group as its first stab at China's boutique hotel market.
Designed by architects from China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, the villas have at least four double bedrooms each with a range of styles mixing modern minimalist furniture with antiques and fabrics from across China and East Asia. With names such as Bamboo Wall, The Split House and The Suitcase House, they are carefully deigned to fit their valley surroundings, and each makes full use of its panoramic views.
Each villas comes with its own butler, clad in an all-black Maoist uniform emblazoned with a red star, while the Commune's clubhouse features two stylish restaurants serving Chinese food with a contemporary twist; a library; and a large swimming pool that doubles as a 300-seat conference hall - courtesy of a wooden covering.
Naturally all of this doesn't come cheap, the premium extends from US$888 to US$1,288 per villa, per night.
Recent guests have included Hollywood actress Rene Zellweger, director Anthony Minghella and Hong Kong celebrity designer Flora Cheong, as well as a companies such as Shiseido, Mont Blanc, Louis Vuitton, Missoni and Porsche.
Although at present the majority of the Commune's clientele are foreigners resident in Beijing or visiting tourists, SOHO China's head of PR, Wang Chunlei, says she expects the country's fast-growing domestic middle class to make up a significant proportion of guests.
"the biggest challenge at the moment is awareness in the domestic market," she says. In anticipation of that growth the Commune plans to expand to some 59 villas in the near future. Meanwhile, if you're looking for some ultra-chic, pamper-yourself chill-out time, or a designer conference venue away from the five star corporate norm, convene at the Commune.
