The Rex shortlist

Your next great stay.

Explore 671 independently selected hotels. Start with a place, a setting, or a season.

Banyan Tree Lijiang

Shuhe, Lijiang, China

At Shuhe, below Yulong Snow Mountain, Banyan Tree Lijiang places 123 villas and suites within a resort inspired by Naxi architecture. Grey-tiled roofs, red canals and broad courtyards shape the grounds, while the surrounding highland setting keeps the mountain in view. Shuhe Ancient Town is adjacent, with Baisha Village also nearby. The stay is oriented around private accommodation and local culture, with on-site dining, a spa and activities that introduce Naxi traditions.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Capella Shanghai

Shanghai, China

City42 roomsUltra-Luxury

A ultra-luxury boutique hotel set within a meticulously restored 1920s French Concession mansion, offering an intimate escape in the heart of Shanghai's most historic district. The property combines Art Deco elegance with contemporary design, featuring personalized service and curated cultural experiences.

Rate guideFrom $800

Notable

Fairmont Peace Hotel

Shanghai, China

CityHistoric

On Shanghai’s Bund, the Fairmont Peace Hotel looks across the Huangpu River toward Pudong from a landmark building first opened as the Cathay Hotel in 1929. Its appeal is unusually tied to the building itself: Art Deco heritage runs through the hotel, and the Peace Museum traces its history and architecture. A stay also places you beside the Nanjing Road East shopping district, with the hotel’s long-running jazz tradition and river-facing dining adding distinctively Shanghai ways to spend an evening.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing

Beijing, China

City42 roomsHistoric

On Beijing’s Central Axis, Mandarin Oriental Qianmen occupies the lanes of the Qianmen East hutong quarter rather than a conventional single hotel block. Its 42 courtyard houses sit among traditional residences, shops, eateries and cultural venues, giving the stay a distinctly neighborhood-shaped rhythm. The houses retain the siheyuan courtyard form, with updated interiors and Chinese art and heritage details. Qianmen, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven are nearby; dining spans Cantonese-Chaozhou and Italian, with a courtyard spa on site.

The 50 Best· 7

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen

Shenzhen, China

City178 roomsSpa

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen occupies the upper floors of an UpperHills tower in Futian, with Bijia Mountain Park and Lotus Hill Park a short walk away. Its 178 rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking combinations of parkland and the city skyline. The high-rise setting shapes the experience beyond the rooms: dining venues look out across Shenzhen, while the 68th-floor spa and an indoor pool offer places to pause between time in the city.

The 50 Best· 90T+L· 34

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

NUO Hotel Beijing

Beijing, China

CityPool

In eastern Chaoyang, NUO Hotel Beijing puts guests near the 798 Art District and Wangjing’s business hub, rather than in the historic centre. Its 439 rooms and suites interpret Ming scholar interiors through contemporary design and a substantial Chinese art collection, including a lobby sculpture by Zeng Fanzhi. Five restaurants and bars give the large hotel a strong dining focus, while a 1,600-square-metre ballroom reflects its capacity for major meetings and celebrations.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Park Hyatt Beijing

Beijing, China

City237 roomsFine Dining

Park Hyatt Beijing occupies the upper floors of Beijing Yintai Centre, a mixed-use tower in the capital’s central business district. Its 237 rooms, including 22 suites, pair city-facing windows with contemporary interiors and Beijing-inspired design details. Guests have direct access to Guomao subway station and the complex’s shopping center; the hotel’s restaurants and bar are also high above the city, including venues on the 63rd, 65th and 66th floors. The result is a distinctly vertical, CBD-centered base rather than a historic-neighborhood stay.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Regent Beijing

Beijing, China

CitySpa

Regent Beijing is a 496-room hotel in Dongcheng’s Wangfujing commercial area, directly above Dengshikou Station on Subway Line 5. Its large atrium and rooms with warm wood, marble bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows give it the character of a traditional grand city hotel rather than a small design-led property. Highest-floor accommodations can look toward the Forbidden City; back at the hotel, guests have several dining options, a spa and a 25-metre indoor pool.

T+L· 50CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Rosewood Beijing

Beijing, China

City283 roomsFine Dining

Rosewood Beijing occupies Jing Guang Centre in Chaoyang’s central business district, across from the CCTV Tower. Its 283 rooms and suites give the hotel substantial scale, while interiors draw on Beijing courtyard-house geometry and Chinese materials through a contemporary lens. Seven restaurants and lounges range from Northern Chinese cooking and Cantonese dining to a French-style bistro. The result is a high-rise city base with a strong sense of place, suited to travelers who want dining and cultural references close at hand.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

The Peninsula Beijing

Beijing, China

City230 roomsFine Dining

Opened in 1989 as The Palace Hotel and renamed The Peninsula Beijing in 2006, this 230-suite hotel occupies central Wangfujing, between the capital’s retail bustle and its imperial-era sights. A major renewal completed in 2017 recast the former 525 rooms as suites; the hotel pairs Chinese architectural references and contemporary technology with more than 800 original Chinese artworks and an on-site gallery. Its appeal is distinctly urban: generous suite living, cultural programming and several restaurant formats within a walkable historic-city base.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

The Peninsula Shanghai

Shanghai, China

City235 roomsFine Dining

On Shanghai’s historic Bund riverfront, The Peninsula Shanghai is a 235-room hotel that opened in 2009. It is The Peninsula Hotels’ flagship in Mainland China, with Art Deco-inspired interiors drawing on the city’s 1920s style. Four restaurants and lounges include Yi Long Court, serving Cantonese cuisine, and Sir Elly’s, where Northern Italian cooking comes with views toward Pudong. The hotel is part of a complex that also includes luxury residences and a shopping arcade.

The 50 Best· 99CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street

Beijing, China

CityPool

On Beijing’s Financial Street in Xicheng District, this contemporary city hotel is oriented toward the capital’s financial quarter rather than a resort setting. Its glass-and-chrome exterior gives way to Chinese-inflected interiors shaped by Feng Shui references and warm wood. Dining pairs Cantonese cooking at Qi with Chinese and Western options at Greenfish, while a 1,500-square-meter health club, including a heated indoor lap pool, adds a substantial indoor leisure dimension. Seasons Place mall is next door.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Upper House Chengdu

Chengdu, China

City142 roomsHistoric

Set within Taikoo Li beside Daci Temple, Upper House Chengdu occupies former temple grounds organized around a preserved heritage courtyard. The intimate property combines 100 hotel rooms with 42 serviced apartments, pairing a historic site with contemporary design and art. Its accommodation ranges from studios to multi-bedroom apartments, while its courtyards sit among the retail district’s laneways. Dining and wellness are part of the offer, including a Sichuan vegetarian teahouse and a spa integrated into a heritage courtyard.

CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Notable

Upper House Shanghai

Shanghai, China

CitySpa

In Jing’an’s Dazhongli neighbourhood, Upper House Shanghai puts a substantial residential-style stay within reach of West Nanjing Road and central metro connections. The property comprises 111 guest rooms and 102 serviced apartments, with room types ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments. Italian architect Piero Lissoni’s interiors bring together porcelain, ceramic, bamboo and lacquered textures, while an eclectic art collection gives the calm, contemporary spaces a distinct Shanghai frame.

T+L· 53CNT Triple Crown

Rate guidePrice on request

Showing 14 of 14 hotels

Rates are indicative. Check current prices with the hotel or booking provider.

Your next great stay.

Hotel results

Banyan Tree Lijiang

Capella Shanghai

Fairmont Peace Hotel

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen

NUO Hotel Beijing

Park Hyatt Beijing

Regent Beijing

Rosewood Beijing

The Peninsula Beijing

The Peninsula Shanghai

The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street

Upper House Chengdu

Upper House Shanghai

Your next great stay.

Hotel results

Banyan Tree Lijiang

Capella Shanghai

Fairmont Peace Hotel

Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing

Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen

NUO Hotel Beijing

Park Hyatt Beijing

Regent Beijing

Rosewood Beijing

The Peninsula Beijing

The Peninsula Shanghai

The Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street

Upper House Chengdu

Upper House Shanghai