A stay at Aman at Summer Palace Beijing transports you to a bygone setting of cultivated picturesque ponds, romantic pavilions, and exquisitely designed courtyards — once owned by Empress Dowager Cixi in the 1700s.
Like scenes from a Zhang Yimou movie, the grounds of Aman at Summer Palace are an intricate network of classical Chinese pavilions with elaborate geometrical carpentry set in traditional gardens, adjoining koi-filled ponds and weeping willows.
The sense of history is heightened as you pass service staff, dressed in traditional kuas on vintage-looking bicycles. On a fine day, you might chance upon a flutist performing under a pagoda, straight out of a water-colour painting.
There are many reasons why a stay at Aman would be on our destinations list, but the most important one is the private access gate to the Imperial Gardens. You can catch a tour, starting at 5pm after the sun sets, as the evening haze casts an ethereal blue glow over everything it touches.
Just steps away from the East Gate of the Summer Palace grounds, Aman's palatial resort is housed in a series of dwellings, some of which date back over a century. The original compound was used by visitors to the Summer Palace, awaiting an audience with Empress Dowager Cixi. Aman Resorts had the privilege of remodelling this section into the premium resort that it is today, opened in 2008.
There are 51 rooms in total — eight Guestrooms, 10 Courtyard Guestrooms, 25 Suites, seven Courtyard Suites and one Imperial Suite. The rooms look quintessentially Oriental: With polished clay tiles, high wood beams, lattice screens, plush sofas and intricately carved mahogany cupboards. Most of the suites come with four-poster king-sized beds and Ming-style armoires. Bigger dwellings have a foyer, a study table and living area furnished with a day bed. The grand dame of rooms, The Imperial Suite, takes up an entire courtyard and is made up of four pavilions — the bedroom, living room, formal room and a boardroom.
In a country renowned for its vast array of regional cuisines, Aman at Summer Palace offers guests its own extensive selection of dining options. The restaurants are organised into a cluster: Naoki serves original French kaiseki; The Grill serves Western fare specialising in juicy grilled meats; while The Chinese Restaurant is spread throughout nine different buildings with six private rooms serving famous Peking Duck.
Beneath the reception pavilion is an underground pleasure dome — the Aman Spa. There are nine double treatment rooms for facials and massages, a Pilates and yoga studio, a Kim Robinson hair salon, a state-of-the-art gym, a lap pool (heated in winter), jacuzzis, squash courts, a juice bar and a 37-seater cinema.
First timers to Beijing should sign up for the Discover Beijing package, which includes three nights' accommodation for two, daily breakfast, a complimentary Chinese tea ceremony, guided excursions to the Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Lama Temple, a traditional hutong, and 90-minute heated Gemstone Body Treatment.
