The Aman at Summer Palace, Beijing is a new upscale hotel that opened in late September of 2008. It stands near a cluster of 100-year-old courtyard dwellings just outside the East Gate of the famous Summer Palace, about 10 miles northwest of Forbidden City. Our First Impression Far away from the gridlock and congestion of central Beijing, the Aman hostel at Summer Palace is a spiritual escape that combines old-world elegance with decadent modern luxury.
The resort is accessed via the East Gate of the Summer Palace, which is open to the public. The hotel is contained within a series of Ming-red structures and ornate one-story villas. Built in 1750, the palace is a series of immaculate, interconnecting structures surrounding Kunming Lake that was once the summertime escape of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The palace was completely destroyed by air raids in 1860, after which his wife passionately oversaw every detail of reconstruction that created the series of buildings and gardens found today. What to Expect Here
If you've never been to an Aman Resort, you're in for a treat. A modern-day emperor's arrival begins down a long passageway of mature shade trees and a formal garden leading to the main lobby. Lined in clay tiles polished to mirror perfection, the lobby is decorated in traditional Chinese woodwork with modern touches like minimalist lounge areas and artwork that define the ever-hip aesthetic of most Aman Resorts. Reception and check-in is seamless without being stuffy. Every detail of guests' desires and preferences are earmarked before arrival to ensure that rooms are drawn to specific orders.
Finding your Room Entry-room categories would be considered full-fledged suites by most standards, but at Aman they are simply called guest rooms. Arranged around manicured gardens and courtyards, the spaces feature polished tile floors among a combined living-and-sleeping area arranged in intricate window screens, traditional paneling and wooden lounge furnishings with chunky upholstered cushions in subdued colors of burnt gold and creamy white. The actual suites here vary and are lavish and quite large. Each individually designed room or space offers secluded daybeds, cushy reading chairs and dramatic views of the surrounding landscape.
