BEST OF THE BAY

China's Greater Bay Area is dialling up the luxury, especially when it comes to five-star accommodation

- Coco Marett

Be it a design-led boutique property that places guests in the heart of Shenzhen’s charming laneways, a tranquil lakefront resort steeped in Lingnan history or soaring city hotels with sweeping aerial views, there’s a lot to love about the Bay.

A quick reminder: the Greater Bay Area is the collective name for a cluster of nine cities and two special administrative regions—Hong Kong and Macau—in South China. Since we cover the latter two extensively, we’re switching things up and imploring you to explore the rest of the region, with these luxury hotels as your base.

NANTOU CITY GUESTHOUSE, SHENZHEN

Nantou City Guesthouse stands out—but only just—amid the charm and grit of a surrounding maze of narrow streets and alleys. Once a residential building, this nine-storey property hotel was transformed by Shanghaibased architects Neri&Hu into an 11-key boutique. The studio says its design reflects an urban village or cheng zong cun—a term used in China for the phenomenon of agricultural villages being engulfed by rapid urbanisation while remaining as distinct entities.

Exposed structural elements from the original tenement building are met with modern additions, creating a space that feels part museum, part relic, part very cool hotel. Though brutalist at its core, there’s something soft and inviting about Nantou City Guesthouse.