Newly built it may be, but the Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin (167 Dagubei Rd.; 86-22/5857-8888; doubles from US$165) is all about old-world opulence. It’s the latest luxury hotel to hit this former treaty port, whose laid-back atmosphere and historic core of colonial-era architecture make Tianjin a worthy side trip from Beijing, 30 minutes away by high-speed train. Behind the hotel’s turreted, Neoclassical-style facade, 330 guest rooms designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon (who headed the three-year refurbishment of the Savoy in London) feature white-paneled walls, chandeliers, stone balconies, and swaths of marble, while four restaurants serve everything from Cantonese to Southeast Asian dishes, all presented in suitable splendid surrounds. –Chris Kirkpatrick

This article originally appeared in the December 2013/January 2014 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“History in the Making”)