Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake

From the Hideaway Report

August 2011 Hideaway Report

Understandably, many first-time visitors to Hangzhou will want to stay on West Lake. In town, I have long suggested the Shangri-La, a distinguished resort that offers memorable views and 40 acres of private gardens. However, although I continue to recommend this property, it has undoubtedly been superseded by the new Four Seasons Hangzhou at West Lake, which opened in October 2010.

Comprising just 78 rooms, this is an unexpectedly intimate resort, with a traditional exterior topped by pagoda roofs. Surrounded by extensive water gardens that merge seamlessly with West Lake, it seems quite understated at first glance. But step inside, and you are confronted by a dazzling interior that combines both Chinese and Western elements in a tour de force of contemporary design.

The accommodations are appropriately restful, with wood- and silk-paneled walls complemented by subdued shades of dove gray, pale yellow and cream. As you would expect from Four Seasons, all contemporary amenities are provided, and the marble baths are peerlessly well-appointed and equipped with soaking tubs as well as walk-in showers. The public areas, however, are intended to amaze, and no expense seems to have been spared to create an overwhelming impression.

Nowhere is this opulence more astonishing than in the spa, with its huge indoor pool surrounded by pillow-strewn alcoves. The nine treatment rooms, each with a marble sunken tub and delicate pink lighting, are among the most lavish and exquisite I have ever seen. Similarly, the resort’s Chinese restaurant, Jin Sha, with its 11 private dining pavilions overlooking an artificial lake, contrives to be extravagant without ever lapsing into vulgarity.

Amanfayun and the Four Seasons are equally remarkable but utterly dissimilar. The former offers serenity and cultural sophistication, while the latter represents the last word in contemporary luxury and refined indulgence. The choice is yours.

Amenities