Located by the scenic Qiantang River of Hangzhou—one of the seven ancient capitals of China—the Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou strikes an imposing presence as a residence befitting distinguished international guests.
Inheriting its name and the highest standards of hospitality from the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, the hotel first opened its doors to delegates of the 2016 G20 summit. Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou is designed by renowned British architecture firm Atkins, which infused contemporary European aesthetics into the traditional Chinese heritage and cultural legacies of the historical Diaoyutai brand.
CHINESE QUADRANGLES
The hotel’s interior theme, by Hong Kong’s CCD/Cheng Chung Design, is a modern reinterpretation of the traditional Hui-style courtyard residence, or siheyuans, where the social spaces radiate from a central core. The courtyard layout and landscape techniques create progressive layers of space, each with subtle differences in atmosphere that greet guests as they move through the residence.
The grand lobby area, with its golden tapestries, black tiled floors and beamed ceiling, functions as the mansion’s ‘living room’. It is designed with three entryways—the main entrance; the central caisson courtyard through the corridor; and the Pinju restaurant and lobby bar, which leads to an exclusive garden with rocks and ancient pine, framed by French windows.
The modern banquet hall is wrapped in light blue-toned stone, grey and blue wood, a distinctive blue diamond-patterned carpet and riverfront floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Striking long lamps line the warm beige leather walls, under a canopy of ripple-like chandeliers.
The stand-alone multifunction hall carries on the design concept, with its warm white leather and blue carpet, a retro glass door, a bar and a spiral staircase that leads to a recreation hall.
The boardroom sports an intriguing combination of hues—dark red, crimson and orange-red—and surface textures, with Chinese calligraphy on one wall, and a black-and-white ink-based picture of the West Lake on the other.
WORLD-CLASS BLEND
The hotel features 162 guest rooms, with more than half facing river views. The layout and organisation of guest rooms are based on the architecture of Jiangnan gardens, with great attention paid to the extension, infiltration and separation of spaces. Measuring more than 60 square metres each, the rooms have their own independent hallway, bathroom and walk-in cloakroom, as well as distinct areas for sleeping, working and reception.
Each room is customised with a blend of ancient charm and Western style, to encapsulate the rich world experiences of an oriental diplomat. Traditional and innovative furnishing and fittings include solid wood furniture, porcelain lacquerware, handcrafted copper pot, crystal glass lamp posts and appliqué rust mirror, along with a bathroom floor paving inspired by the delicate brick pavements in the Jiangnan gardens.
PROJECT DATA
Project Name: Diaoyutai Hotel Hangzhou
Location: 65, Wuxing Road, Jianggan District, Hangzhou, China
Completion Date: November 2016
Project Area
Phase 1: 34,820 square metres
Phase 2: 19,767 square metres
Interior Design Firm: CCD/Cheng Chung Design (HK)
Designer: Joe Cheng
Images: CCD/Cheng Chung Design (HK)
