Above: The hotel is close to Beijing’s 798 art district.
Swire Hotels has followed the success of its first East hotel in Hong Kong with East, Beijing (22 Jiuxianqiao Rd; 86-10/8426-0888; east-beijing.com; doubles from US$125) in the capital’s Chaoyang district. Designed by UK-based Benoy, the hotel’s 346 guest rooms and 23 suites are minimalist but lustrous, thanks to floor-to-ceiling glazing and walls painted in lucent white. Rooms on the 24th and 25th floors have access to Upstairs, the hotel’s executive lounge, which offers iPads and Wi-Fi connectivity at no extra charge, while the hotel’s public spaces display plenty of contemporary art, drawn from the local community and farther afield.