Shangri-La Group has launched a new luxury brand, Shangri-La Signatures, with the opening of The Silk Lakehouse, Shangri-La Hangzhou. The hotel is located on the shores of West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The brand presents each property as a private residence and includes collaborations with designers and artisans. It offers experiences related to art, wellness, food and local culture.
The Silk Lakehouse takes its concept from the home of a Jiangnan silk merchant. The design is by Gert Voorjans and Lázaro Rosa-Violán. The lobby contains a crystal installation made of 1,930 Murano glass pieces that resemble willow branches.
The hotel stands on the site of the former Xiling Hotel. Shangri-La has kept and reinterpreted existing elements, including the sculpture Autumn in Yandang Mountain Ou by Zhou Jinyun, originally commissioned in 1971 for the visit of former U.S. President Richard Nixon.
There are 68 rooms and suites with views of the lake or gardens. Features include bathtubs, responsive mattresses and heated towel systems. Each guest is assigned a host who arranges cultural activities such as tea ceremonies, incense making, silk weaving, fan making and other local crafts.
Wellness offerings include an indoor pool, yoga, Tai Chi and in-room exercises like guided meditation and breathing.
Dining venues include The Living Room by Alan Yu, with Western cuisine; Golden Silk, with food from Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Ningbo and Taizhou; Tea House, with regional teas; and The Living Room by SANYOU, with drinks using baijiu and other local spirits.
Shangri-La opened its first hotel in Mainland China in Hangzhou in 1984.
