Rosewood Hotels and Resorts announced that Rosewood Beijing will open in the spring of 2014 as its first property in China, launching the group's ambitious expansion plans in Asia.

The 283-room hotel is located in the city's Central Business District, opposite the iconic China Central Television headquarters.

With its roots in North America, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts operates 18 luxury properties in nine countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, and its target is to double that number in the next five years.

It has announced 11 future hotels including the one in Beijing. The company is targeting gateway cities and exclusive resort destinations worldwide, with a focus on Asia.

"In Beijing there are a lot of luxury hotels, but I think what Rosewood can deliver is different," says Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group, a Hong Kong-based international hotel management company encompassing the Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, New World Hotels and Pentahotels brands.

Each Rosewood hotel embraces the brand's "a sense of place" philosophy, which is to reflect each city's culture, history and geography. So does Rosewood Beijing's design.

Surrounded by a 3-meter-high stone wall, the hotel will pay tribute to the concept of traditional Chinese gardens.

At the hotel's entrance, guests will be welcomed by two magnificent stone sculptures of sons of the Chinese dragons. In the lobby will be brilliant ink-brush paintings of mountain and water landscapes and Chinese calligraphy.

The hotel will offer much landscaped outdoor space of terraces, gardens and balconies, which are integrated into areas including restaurants and spa and recreational facilities.

It's like an "urban village". The hotel is a community with various spaces, each of which will be separated by an individual courtyard.

The hotel's carefully selected artworks, such as ink-brush paintings and wood sculptures, will feature Beijing-based artists who are adept at combining tradition and the contemporary.

"As for the guestroom, what we try to create is almost like a mansion within the hotel. It's a different approach from other hotels in the city," says Cheng, a Harvard graduate. She visited Beijing recently.

With residential-style layouts such as elegant ornaments and textural overlays, a large guestroom of 50 square meters will make it a cozy and homelike place. It's decorated with paintings on xuan paper (rice paper) of traditional Chinese symbols, such as the yin and yang constellation.

When you pass by the lift lobbies, you will notice the library shelves are filled with artworks such as porcelain, accessories and specially sourced books. You may have the impression that you're in a private collector's residence.

Cheng is proud that the hotel has six restaurants and lounges, serving delicious international cuisines.

Diehard fans of hot pot will fall in love with Red Bowl. The restaurant offers individual hot pots for each guest sitting along a large bar counter, with fresh meats, seafood, vegetables and drinks.

"Local residents like hot pot. We get a modern take of hot pot and make it much more fun and fashionable," she says.

One of her favorites is the Chinese restaurant Country Kitchen, with an open show kitchen and a wood-roasting oven. Chefs will demonstrate their cooking skills with Northern Chinese dishes, such as Peking duck and different kinds of dumplings.

"It's inspired by China's village-type home-cooked food. It reflects the local custom and culture, dining in a casual environment with an outdoor terrace," she says.

According to Cheng, Rosewood's target customers are the "affluential explorers", referring to those who are very well traveled and sophisticated.

"They are looking for something different with the hotel experience, which is based on intuitive service of the people. It's something that can't be replaced by very extravagant designs," she says.

"Sometimes it's going back to the simple pleasures - the basics," she says.

In September, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts started the Rosewood Curators program, to enhance the guests' hotel experience. It has invited 14 celebrities and tastemakers to share their favorite travel tips and spots for Rosewood destinations on the hotel's official website.

As for Beijing, you can have a bite of the city's best street food, recommended by Hong Kong film director Johnnie To.

According to Cheng, Rosewood as a brand is expanding quickly in the world. In 2015, China will have its second Rosewood Hotel in the Chongqing municipality.

"More and more people are traveling to local destinations for a resort stay. China's resort hotel market is still in the early stage and has a lot of potential to grow," Cheng adds.

Contact the writer at xulin@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 12/07/2013 page13)