Meixi Lake Hotel, glitz and glamour in the heart of Changsha

The hotel’s interiors might be described as “Maohaus”, with numerous Chinese paintings and objets d’art enliven­ing the lofty lobby and other public areas. The architects claim to have been inspired by a poem of some antiquity depicting a fisherman who discovers a hidden paradise behind a grove of peach trees, and draw the obvious parallel.

And the rooms? There are just seven suites and 303 regular rooms. The bath­rooms, rather than being tucked away, run parallel with the bedrooms, starting with shower and loo at the back, and passing double vanities (with striking turquoise soap dishes and amenity boxes) to end at a tub that’s angled to take in the view, which from many rooms includes the lake and Yuelu Mountain.

Rich, muted colours characterise the bedroom while a peach motif gently repeats itself on the soft furnishings. Best of all, these are rooms that are easily navigable: plainly marked light switches, a spacious safety box tucked away within the similarly commodious walk-in wardrobe, bathroom scales that don’t require any fiddle-faddle. The tele­vision faces the bed – which is grand enough for a very portly king plus consort – and includes international channels among its multifarious Chinese offerings.