The St. Regis Beijing 北京瑞吉酒店

With more marble than an Italian quarry and more wood than an old growth forest, the St. Regis is one of the city’s most luxurious hotels. At any hour round the clock, guests can summon their personal butler or a professional masseur; to fight jetlag, there is always the gorgeous pool, spa or putting green. The restaurants, notably the Astor Grill, will sat-isfy discriminating palates, and the buzz around town is that the bartender whips up a mean tequila Bloody Mary at the Press Club Bar. RMB 1,750-51,170.

The last word in luxury, the St. Regis Spa offers self-indulgence in the extreme. The spa offers treatments such as deep tissue and traditional Chinese massages, aromatherapy, facials, body wraps, antioxidant treatments and many more. Prices start from RMB 250 for a head and neck massage, RMB 500 for spa treatments, and RMB 350 for an express 30-minute facial.