What do you see when I say Aman and Opposite?

For the answer to my question, read today’s blog post!

Okay, so where was I in describing the 2011 Virtuoso Chairman’s Event when my eyes slammed shut last night? Right, now I remember. We had the opening meeting, an event so positive that we all kept discussing it on our ride to Opposite House, a unique hotel in the Chaoyang District. It sits among shops that are the originals that are copied in the Pearl Market and Silk Market . Opposite House, owned by Swire, the largest Coca Cola bottler next to Coke itself and owner of Cathay Pacific and a myriad of other recognizable named companies. Opposite House’s name derives from the placement of houses in a hutong

 

Entering Opposite House is walking into an organic piece of art! Reclaimed wood floors, native sandstone walls, rooms on the perimeter of a soaring roof high lobby that features two ribbons of woven stainless steel suspended from the center of the ceiling. Anthony Ross, Area GM, and his staff converted the lobby area into a contemporary dining venue and he hosted a most amazing contemporary Chinese luncheon. Service by servers dressed in eggplant tops and ballooning black jumpers was impeccable and the food (things I recognized and those that were a mystery to me) was a foodie’s delight! Meg Maggio, owner of the art gallery, Pekin Fine Arts, described the art scene and private art tour options available in Beijing. Meg, originally from Boston, practiced law in Beijing before turning her passion for collecting art into a full-time vocation.

 
The site inspection at Opposite House was no less spectacular than the meal and, I might add, cleverly tucked between the main course and dessert! Rooms and suites, 99 in total, are minimalist yet warm and inviting. Sweeping floor to ceiling windows provide a meld of inside and outside with electrically operated black-out shades ensure a good night’s sleep. A lower level restaurant and bar cleverly use the diffused light offered by the main structure and even provide light to the subterranean and spectacularly unique swimming pool. Can you tell I was impressed by this property? Who wouldn’t be?

 

We returned to Raffles with just enough time to layer up for our ride to the Summer Palace. Raffles, an iconic property, in the center of everything and a short walk to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, has a historic presence in Beijing. As Diane Baker, Raffles VP, described this property and the other unique properties in the Raffles group, as offering emotional luxury. How true! Scattered around the property are photos that provide a history of Beijing in the 20th century and all photos were taken on site!

 
We had a police escort on our drive to the Summer Palace, a replica of the West Lake area of Hangzhou (which I had the joy and privilege of visiting on a trip to China last month with Imperial Tours). We arrived in record time, actually ahead of schedule, and only Aman, who operates a hotel adjacent to the Summer Palace, could host this event and make it look effortless! We gathered at the edge of the lake and slowly watched the sun set. We also had a demonstration of a man practicing calligraphy on the pathway, using only a long handled brush and water, as his medium of choice. Just in front of the setting sun stood the famous bridge, 17 steps so at the top the emperor could be at 9, a number associated with the emperor and meaning longlasting.

 

After the sun had set we strolled through the grounds of the Summer Palace and came to an area cordoned off just for us Virtuosos. We then spent a fascinating couple of hours dining our way around a small lake while being entertained by traditional dance, chamber music, ancient Chinese music, dancers with swirling fabric, all accompanied by dramatic changes in the hues of the lighting. It was one of those evenings that I wanted to capture in my heart and mind to adequately describe it to you AND to my grandchildren. I can hear myself telling them about it when they are old enough to understand the rare opportunity their grandma experienced. In fact, someday they will probably say, “Grandma’s on her reminiscing roll again! Let her roll!”

 
Appropriately clad for an outdoor event (layers and more layers), I was still grateful to move indoors for the site inspection of the Aman Summer Palace. Having been newly baptized as an Aman junkie after my stay last month at Amanfayun, I was equally impressed with this property…and the warmth, too! Dessert, along with painting and craft demonstrations, was provided in the main hall before we reluctantly boarded our coaches for our ride back to the city.

 

This morning provided a very special shopping opportunity because Nancy Kim, Managing Director of Imperial Tours, assembled a group a vendors, offering us a chance to purchase some select items of clothing, jewelry and décor. You know, of course, that I had to purchase a few baubles, right?

 
Now we’re off to a luncheon ON the Great Wall of China, hosted by St. Regis hotels. Stay tuned!

Ready, set, shop, sight-see, dine and dance!

At 7:59 AM on Tuesday, October 19 the athletes had finished stretching, their muscles tensed, eyes focused awaiting the beginning of the race to the Presidential Suite at Raffles Hotel.  Perhaps I am exaggerating a bit…what I am describing was our anticipation of the beginning of the Virtuoso Shopping Bazaar, a display of unique items procured by Nancy Kim, Managing Director of Imperial Tours, and presented in a boutique setting in the Presidential Suite . Jewelry, clothing, cashmeres, private blend teas, and Tibetan ethnic goods were scooped up with enthusiasm and, as we boarded the motor coaches for our lunch on the Great Wall, we modeled some of our purchases.

An expert in the history and construction of the Great Wall was aboard each of the 4 motor coaches. David Spindler, our Guru of all things Great Wall, shared many details that fascinated me. A “great wall” actually is defined as a non-enclosed wall (like city walls in Xi’an or Dubrovnik) with a minimum defined thickness, height and length. China’s Great Wall is a series of walls joined together. The fired brick construction was see at locations near Beijing are the newest construction. Some of the oldest and still standing parts are actually tamped dirt.

There are certain areas round Beijing where the Wall has been restored and those locales are tourist friendly. This visit to the wall was my 3rd and the takeaway is that where you visit the wall matters. My first time I was in a sea of tourists. The second time, in 2008 with Gerald Hatherly of A&K Hong Kong, we went about an hour outside of the city center to an area that felt quiet and serene. This time, because of the large size of our group, we visited an area that was more populated than visit #2 and much better than my first Great Wall experience. I sound like I’m telling a spin-off of Goldilocks and the three bears, don’t I?

St. Regis Hotels hosted our Great Wall experience, an event that began with champagne on a terrace. Next we watched 7 young women in red, skintight costumes combine drumming and dancing in a chorus line type act. The main wow was our sit-down luncheon  on the Great Wall, highlighted by a menu of delicious courses served by scores of waiters who served all the tables simultaneously. One of our luncheon companions was William Lindsay, noted conservationist and Great Wall advocate. A lovely singer serenaded us with ballads and jazz favorites of the 1930′s.

Greg Nacco, Julie Nacco, and Kimberly Wilson Wetty were brave souls who actually ran a length of the Great Wall. Nancy Stein, of Aldine Travel in St. Louis, had a different Great Wall run, one of bad luck. Reaching the last step of the Wall returning to our motor coaches, Nancy’s foot rolled desiring in a broken bone. I hope your foot heals quickly, Nancy!

We made it back to Raffles in time to rest and change into our “party fashions” and to make the mental shift from the “lure of the past” to “the impact of the future” (the theme of our journey to China) as we made our way to the Water Cube, the 2008 Olympics swimming venue. Shangri-La Hotels hosted our evening, which began with a red carpet walk alongside an outside wall of the cube and led us indoors and up an escalator to what was normally the tennis courts but now transformed into a heavenly room dotted with sprays of blue hydrangeas. Liquid refreshment was served from a magnificently carved circular ice bar. I easy found my way to our assigned table and I had wonderful dinner partners including Priscilla Alexander and Tova Fink of Protravel International, Inc, Marina Linhares and Tomas Perez of Teresa Perez Tours in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Angie Goiricuria,Virtuoso’s Vice President of Alliances; Nancy Kim, Managing Director of Imperial Tours; and, our table host Wolfgang Krueger, GM of the Shangri-La Tokyo.

Needless to say the food was deliciously exquisite! Greg Dogan, President and CEO of Shangril-La Hotels welcomed us and Matthew Upchurch responded with gratitude to Greg’s welcome. If we felt we had overeaten,  we had the opportunity to dance off the calories as Beijing’s most popular DJ and a bevy of 1980′s clad disco dancers entertained us and helped remove any shyness about dancying! Matthew  Upchurch, Virtuoso’s CEO, and dance afficianado, was among the first on the dance floor followed quickly by Valerie Wilson and Rosie Goldberger. A personal highlight was watching the Chinese government officials dancing with the advisors. Proving the “Dancing with the Stars” element of the evening, I took a photo of the Vice Chairman of the Tourism Adminsitration with Kimberly Wilson Wetty and an Elton John wannabe!

What a day–a day of contrasts, elegance, and history. We truly spanned the centuries from the lure of the past to the pulsating contemporary feel of today’s Beijing. Having traveled all those years in one day, I was exhausted and ready for a good night’s rest. Sweet dreams!