Shangri-La Harbin

Hotel description

First-time visitors to Harbin might find themselves checking maps to see if this is really China. The distinctly Russian-style architecture (not to mention the wintertime Siberian winds) give the city a distinctly Northern European flavor. And the Shangri-La, the city’s top luxury hotel, follows suit: though it’s recognizably Chinese in feel, in keeping with the house style of the Hong Kong–based chain, there’s a bit of contemporary European elegance about it as well.

This is the state of the modern business-hotel art, with 404 rooms and suites outfitted in an upscale contemporary style. Down duvets and huge modern bathrooms are standard, as are all the technological trimmings the business traveler expects. Add a full-size spa (complete with indoor pool and well-equipped fitness center) and a restaurant that’s 100% Cantonese, and it’s hard to see what else you could ask for.

The location, by the side of the Song Hua river, is closer to the central business district than it is to the historical district of the “St. Petersburg of the East.” But once a year it’s the best location in town — during the winter the Ice and Snow Festival takes place in the palace right next door.