Fairmont Nanjing

Decked out in subtle but elegant tones of dark brown and gold, the Fairmont Nanjing intends to fuse modern elements with the traditional icons that echo the ancient capital's long history. [Photos Provided to China Daily]

Decked out in subtle but elegant tones of dark brown and gold, the Fairmont Nanjing intends to fuse modern elements with the traditional icons that echo the ancient capital's long history. [Photos Provided to China Daily]

Nanjing's Jin'ao Tower, East China's latest landmark and architectural wonder towers more than 200 meters high and resembles an immense Chinese lantern. Right on top, the Fairmont is opening its fourth property on the Chinese mainland.

Decked out in subtle but elegant tones of dark brown and gold, the Fairmont Nanjing intends to fuse modern elements with the traditional icons that echo the ancient capital's long history. It also pays tribute to the city's plum tree, with a cascade of leaves falling down the feature wall in the atrium. Underneath the historical themes, there is the beat of the metropolis' modern rhythm.

The hotel is just a few blocks from the Nanjing International Expo Center and Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, and Fairmont Nanjing is the first international hotel brand to seize a central position in the city's Hexi New Town.

The prestigious district, which is quickly shaping itself into a modern and vibrant business center and classy neighborhood, is the strategic future of the ancient capital. It is also where most major events of the 2014 Youth Olympic Games will take place.

In its first major effort to go local, Fairmont Nanjing will join a few local hotels to accommodate some of the games' important guests.

"The city of Nanjing is one of the fastest growing travel destinations in China and we are delighted to open Fairmont Nanjing at such an opportune time," says Martin Leclerc, general manager of Fairmont Nanjing.

"The hotel will be part of a new luxury residential and commercial development area, and leveraging on Fairmont's distinct brand of service excellence and commitment to delivering authentic experiences, we will play a role in helping to put this area on the map for discerning luxury travelers."

Fairmont features 359 well-appointed guestrooms and suites. Each guestroom showcases rare views of either the Yangtze River or the city. Comfort is guaranteed by attention to detail, such as Fairmont's signature bedding from Simmons, what they call a "magic bathroom mirror" embedded with a flat panel television, a rain shower stall and New York perfumer Le Labo bathroom amenities, scented with the exclusive Rose 31 scent.

These room experiences, of course, will be enhanced by gourmet dining experiences.

In addition to Fairmont's flagship restaurant Richesse Chinoise, which experiments with a fusion of Huaiyang and Cantonese cuisine, Fairmont Nanjing brings in authentic Canadian joys.

At the Vancouver Grill, Joshua Rogers, former head chef at Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, prepares in his own Canadian steaks and seafood. His offerings are well supplemented by the creations of award-winning pastry chef D'Oyen Christie, whose family has been serving Fairmont for more than 50 years.

After a satisfying dinner, guests can enjoy drinks at Music@61, starting with a whisky from a collection of 60 different labels, and then move to the bar for cocktails.

The hotel will soon be opening Cloud@62, the first rooftop bar in Nanjing, and decked out with tented cabanas and a man-made beach where guests can enjoy a signature cocktail that Fairmont specially designed for Nanjing - the Splash Sunset.

Just as they are committed to good taste in food and drinks, Fairmont hotels also hold a strong belief in going organic.

To provide ingredients for the hotel's restaurants, Fairmont Yangcheng Lake has a 200-acre private farm beside the lake. The resort also has a bee farm that provides as much as 40 kilograms of honey during spring for Fairmont's chefs, pastry and dessert chefs especially.

At the Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai, spices and herbs like perilla, rosemary and Italian sweet basil are all planted next to the restaurants.

At Fairmont Nanjing, according to its PR director Zhang Ni, ingredients are all sourced from local organic farmers and there are serious plans to start an organic rooftop farm on top of Jin'ao Tower's annexed building.

The same green philosophy is also reflected in Fairmont's 1990-initiated Green Partnership Program, a commitment to maintaining a connection to the land and communities where they do business and minimizing the hotels' impact on environment.

At Nanjing Fairmont, the building uses a Double Wall system to adapt to varying environmental conditions and to better regulate heat, cold, light and wind. All that will increase energy efficiency, such as greater light transmission and lower visible light reflection.