For its first resort in Greater China, Park Hyatt cast its luxe wand over an old lakeside fishing village in the rural outskirts of Ningbo, two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Shanghai. Taking cues from the original village, the property is laid out as a hamlet of whitewashed buildings with sloping charcoal roofs linked by winding slate paths, bridges, and tea gardens. The misty Chinese-watercolor vista gives way to mod-Zen splendor within.
Dramatic white-marble halls are lined with soaring teak columns and gallery-worthy art installations, while the 236 pearl-toned guest rooms come with lake-view terraces and open bathrooms. The village’s 500-year-old ancestral hall has been stunningly repurposed as a teahouse serving infusions plucked from the hills; other diversions include the 10-villa Yue Hu Spa and a canal-side restaurant that does amazing things with Ningbo’s prized seafood. Guests can visit Buddhist mountain temples by bike or simply soak up the scenery from the resort’s infinity pool, which splashes right into Dongqian Lake.
188 Dayan Lu; 86-574/2888-1234; ningbo.park.hyatt.com; doubles from US$190.
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