Aspiring for imperial elegance but still maintaining the luxe comfort customary of the Shangri-La brand, a new property from the group has debuted in China. The Shangri-La Hotel, Shenyang is situated an hour’s flight north of Beijing in the region’s political, cultural, and economic hub of Northeast China. The city boasts the only existing royal palace besides the Forbidden City in Beijing. The architecture and aesthetics of the hotel attempts to merge elements of the Royal Palace with the hotel. When entering the property guests are greeted by etched marble floors, seemingly strewn with rose petals, the flower found in the gardens of the Palace. Marble-clad columns depict wing and cloud imagery in traditional Chinese style. A copy of a Song Dynasty painting with soaring cranes can be found behind the reception desk. Hotel rooms start at 42 square meters for a total of 424 guestrooms. A Japanese restaurant, Shinsen, graces the top floor of the hotel outfitted with a sushi and sake bar, teppan private dining rooms, and a rooftop terrace. 4,026 square meters of meeting spaces include a grand ballroom, the largest of its kind in northeast China. The hotel will hold it’s grand opening on August 1 in time to host the 12th China National Sports Games in September.

115, Qingnian Avenue, Shenhe District; 86-24/2436-6666; shangri-la.com; doubles from US$180