Behind extravagant vermillion- red lacquer doors is Rosewood Guangzhou, which occupies the top 39 floors of the 108-storey CTF Finance Centre in Guangzhou’s vibrant Zhujiang New Town. Soaring to 530 metres tall, it’s officially the tallest five-star hotel in the world. Sorry, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong: you’ve been dethroned.

Obviously, then, the views are extraordinary—especially from the Manor Club terrace, the impressive indoor pool, and Too High, the hotel’s swanky whisky bar on the 107th floor. For a more casual tipple, head to Brick Lane, a bar, brewery and hibachi grill with a sprawling outdoor terrace.

To dine, you can’t visit Guangzhou—formerly Canton—without enjoying some authentic Cantonese cuisine, and Lingnan House at Rosewood Guangzhou serves some of the best. The roast goose takes 45 minutes to cook in the oversized grill, but it’s worth the wait.

Look out for works by celebrated Chinese artists found throughout the hotel, including a striking piece at the entrance, crafted using traditional rice paper by Zhuang Hong Yi, and paintings by the likes of Pan Jian and Ye Cheng.

Fun fact: The building’s architecture is the work of American firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, also responsible for Otemachi Tower, which houses Aman Tokyo, as well as Rosewood Bangkok and Rosewood Hong Kong.

When it comes to luxury destinations, are lakes the new oceanfronts? Properties like Banyan Tree Dongguan are certainly making a case for it. The tranquil retreat is on the banks of Songshan Lake, whose perfectly still waters mirror the sky.

Designed by renowned UK-based architectural firm Blink, Banyan Tree Dongguan weaves the region’s history into the hotel’s design.

In the lobby, handcrafted wooden screens inspired by Lingnan window panes create a contrast of connectedness and privacy; homages to ancient cloth mills and traditional duntou blue textiles are found in Bai Yun, a restaurant serving Cantonese and Jiangnan cuisine; and in the spa, Manchurian stained glass windows cast vibrant colours across the space, filled with the fragrance of agarwood, which is native to the city.

The luxury hotel boasts 141 rooms and suites, as well as 18 standalone villas on the lake’s serene shores.

Tatler tip: Worth the splurge, the 6,300 sq ft Lakeside Villa features a garden, outdoor swimming pool and even a private pier so you can arrive by boat.

Opened in January this year, Nanshan Shangri-La is just so pretty. Its stately interiors are timeless and sophisticated, with
hints of Chinoiserie found in its lush wallpapers, intricate parquetry and ornamental pieces—be they jade-green marble countertops or glass chandeliers that put a modern twist on traditional Chinese lanterns.

The property spans the top 13 floors of the Shenwan Huiyun Center, with floor-to-ceiling windows throughout that offer aerial views of the city: Mangrove Wetland Reserve to the north, Overseas Chinese Town to the east, Shahe Golf Course to the west and, to the south, the picturesque Shenzhen Bay Coastal Zone spans the horizon—with Hong Kong peeking over the other side of the strait.

Nanshan Shangri-La is home to an outpost of the hotel group’s signature Cantonese restaurant, Summer Palace. Be sure to order the signature barbecue pork with honey—which is always a crowd- pleaser—and the shamelessly decadent poached lobster with egg white and caviar in rice wine.

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