Where the past serves the present with style

NUO Hotel Beijing offers guests and event organizers luxury with Chinese characteristics, Lindsay Andrews reports.

Inspired by the literati culture of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), NUO Hotel Beijing is a contemporary interpretation of the artistic splendor that has come to be representative of imperial China around the world.

But while the hotel's distinctive embodiment of luxury embraces the cultural heritage of China's golden age, rather than being a sterile recreation of the past, NUO Hotel Beijing is animated by a contemporary sensibility that embraces the modern affluent Chinese lifestyle.

Housed within the Beijing Tourism Group's trendsetting NUO Center, a stylish environmentally friendly, mixed-use complex that is also home to a state-of-the-art office tower, the hotel features 438 guestrooms, including 55 suites, all with floor-to-ceiling views of the city and benefiting from the hotel's sophisticated air-purification system.

The hotel is already establishing an enviable reputation in the capital for the quality of its food, which is characterized by local flavors. The hotels food outlets source organic ingredients from partner local farms and producers, which are then creatively prepared in the hotel's six restaurants and bars by a team of culinary experts from 10 different countries.

For relaxation and wellness, NUO Hotel Beijing offers a well-equipped lifestyle gymnasium and 25-meter heated indoor swimming pool, and NUO Spa, which features eight treatment rooms and a traditional Chinese medicine center that offers authentic Chinese heritage treatments, inspired by 2,000-year-old traditional Chinese medical texts, using proprietary oils and fragrances.

This new landmark destination not only offers a refreshingly different place to stay for visitors to the capital, it is also a prestigious and memorable host for meetings, conferences, weddings and celebrations.

The 2,500 square meters of indoor meeting and banqueting space across 14 multifunction rooms and the 1,600-seater ballroom, convey a unique sophistication with their design elements and accents from the Ming Dynasty and impressive audio-visual capabilities.

Planners of big events will be in heaven with the Yongle Grand Ballroom, named after the era name meaning "Perpetual Happiness" adopted by Zhu Di, the founder of the Ming Dynasty. The grey marble and plush carpeting ensure the full 1,600-square-meter, pillar-free ballroom lives up to the grand in its name; while those wanting the splendor, but on a smaller scale, will be pleased to discover the ballroom is a flexible space that can be divided into up to four smaller rooms. There are also direct access elevators, large enough to accommodate a car.

Apart from the large function venues for gala events, product launches, and large weddings, NUO also caters to smaller events where a more intimate space is preferred, whether that be the traditional tea house with Japanese garden, the 15 spacious private dining rooms within the three main restaurants, the rooftop bar and terrace or the outdoor dining areas surrounded by landscaped gardens.

And whatever the occasion or size of the event, NUO Hotel Beijing's events team is committed to partnering to deliver successful meetings and celebrations that go well beyond expectations. For organizers a dedicated events manager is on hand throughout to ensure every detail is taken care of and everything goes smoothly.

The hotel can also help clients bring some tech-savvy to their event by aggregating social media content to create a stunning 75-sq-m video wall featuring customized content.

And the hotel's team of creative culinary talent from all over China, Asia, the Middle East and Europe can provide artisanal edibility that will enhance any event or celebration.

NUO Hotel Beijing is conveniently located by the North Fourth Ring Road in the business and cultural hub of the city's northeastern Chaoyang district, with the city's Third Embassy area, the 798 Art District and the Wangjing High-Tech Business Park all nearby. It is approximately 20 minutes from Beijing Capital International Airport via the airport expressway, and about a 10-minute walk from Jiangtailu Station on subway Line 14.

NUO has received 11 awards since it opened in June, including Best Luxury Hotel, Best MICE Hotel, Best China Hotels, Best New Open and Best Art Hotel by Conde Nast Traveler, Life Style, Metropolitan, Travel+, City Traveler and MICE China.

Contact the writer at lindsayandrews@chinadaily.com.cn