Some kind of Wonderland: Hotel Éclat Beijing

It's a sticky and polluted Beijing afternoon, so I'm happy to slip into the eco-cocoon of Parkview Green, a retail, office and leisure complex that maintains its own energy-efficient microclimate. This giant green glass pyramid has piqued the curiosity of Beijingers since construction began in 2006, but it only finally opened to the public late last year.

From the first step into the lobby, it is obvious that the Parkview's just-opened boutique hotel, Hotel Éclat, isn't your average Beijing stay. Half a dozen large Salvador Dalí statues, borrowed from the Taiwanese hotel owner's extensive collection, compete for my attention. (The winner is the golden figure entitled The Madonna of Port Lligat who has an illuminated red heart that flashes inside her hollow chest.)

Just over the Madonna's shoulder lies the entrance to the hotel gallery. Normally, when I hear the words "hotel gallery", my first thoughts are of insipid watercolours of bucolic scenes; pity placements for local artists. But, encouraged by the Dalís in the lobby, I climb the stairs to the first floor mezzanine before heading up to my room.

There's a pantheon of works by contemporary Chinese artists, including Zhang Xiaogang, Liu Wei, Yue Minjun and other names well-known to Hong Kong's auction houses. Such artists are rarely displayed publicly in Beijing's galleries.

A glass lift carries me up to the guestroom floors which are situated on the top of the Parkview pyramid. My deluxe room comes kitted out with a 3-D TV, a massage chair and an Illy coffee machine. But strange as it sounds, I'm most excited by the bedside lamp. Its white remote control is gun-shaped and you can "shoot" at the light to turn it on and off, like a Bond girl.

The glass pane between the bathroom and the bedroom can also be transformed from opaque to transparent with the flick of a switch.

As quirky as my room is, it's got nothing on the hotel corridors, which are filled with collections ranging from star wars figurines and vintage bicycles to antique suits of armour. Exploring the hotel's warren of hallways, I feel like I've fallen down the rabbit hole into Alice's Wonderland.

From these light-filled, glass-walled corridors I can gaze at the central atrium, which plunges down a dozen floors. The Wonderland feel is magnified by the many oversized, smiling statues, which are in vogue in Chinese contemporary art.

Éclat is interesting, but it's lacking in some of the facilities you'd expect for the price. There's no pool for guests (unless you've splashed out on one of the deluxe pool suites, in which case you can enjoy your own) and the gym has just a handful of machines and no attached changing rooms.

The drinking and dining options are also limited. The Éclat lounge serves breakfast and evening cocktails to all guests and a lobby lounge pours drinks.

But there's easy access to the fantastic restaurants elsewhere in Parkview, including Opera from the Michelin-starred Umberto Bombana, Ito Sushi and British restaurant Alfie's from fashion brand Alfred Dunhill.

The picky may be put off by the less than perfect amenities, but for those with a sense of adventure, this Mad Hatter's compendium of a hotel is well worth exploring.

48hours@scmp.com

Hotel Éclat Beijing 
9 Dongdaqiao Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100020 
eclathotels.com

Getting there
Dragonair flies daily several times a day to Beijing for HK$3,770 return. A taxi to the hotel takes around 30 minutes.

Staying there
Deluxe rooms start from HK$2,270. Deluxe pool suites start from HK$18,640.