High in the mountains of Yunnan Province, Pullman Lijiang Resort & Spa takes cues from local Naxi villages, with wing-tipped roofs, meandering courtyards, and reflection pools set against the moody majesty of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Behind high, gray brick walls, the 79 sprawling villas up the luxe factor with mod-Chinese furnishings, huge granite bathrooms with cozy heated floors, and comfy living and study quarters separated by carved wooden screens.
Glass doors slide open to a private stone courtyard where you can enjoy a meal prepared by one of the hotel’s chefs, or a dip in a hot tub overlooking the glacier-capped mountain peaks by day and the endless galaxy of stars at night. Take a rickety cable car to the 4,608-meter summit of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, explore the nearby World Heritage–listed old towns of Lijiang, or venture farther afield to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Afterward, bliss out in the delightful Mandara Spa, set in its own walled pavilions, with treatments using Yunnan coffee beans, ginseng, yak milk, and lavender gathered from the surrounding mountains.
Shuhe Old Town Entrance Rd.; 86-888/530-0111; pullman-lijiang.com; doubles from US$260
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