New Residence

Opposites Attract

One-hundred percent owned and operated by Swire and run by General Manager Anthony Ross, formerly of Singapore's Sentosa Spa and Resort, The Opposite House derives its name from the Chinese tradition where esteemed guests would stay in the house opposite the main house. Offering luxurious accommodations, the boutique hotel was designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and is highlighted by orderly right angles and expansive planes, providing guests with visual relief from the cheerful but sometimes overwhelming clutter of the capital. Guests will love the spa-inspired bathrooms with rain showers, deep soaking oak tubs and heated floors for keeping your feet warm. Also available will be several restaurants and bars under the guidance of Australian-French Patrick Dumas, the most intriguing of which will be Punk, a mini-bar aimed at uniting the bourgeois and bohemian. Set to open this summer, best mark your calendars.
Address: 10/F Centre Foreign Plaza, 6A Gongti Beilu.
Tel: 6417-6688.
Web: http://www.theoppositehouse.com

Shama Deluxe

Located near the CBD, Shama Luxe Chang An serviced apartments offer an opulent lifestyle in China’s Imperial City. With the popular Wangfujing shopping street to its west and the Ancient Observatory to its east, Shama's first Beijing property has 225 one to three-bedroom residences and duplex suites, each equipped with Shama “Slumber” beds, Molton Brown amenities, free internet access, iPod docking stations, Hi-fi audio systems and more. Combined with club facilities including a gym, yoga room, indoor pool, steam room, bowling alley, children's play area and daily housekeeping, Shama Luxe Chang An is truly the epitome of stylish living.
Address: 9 Gongyuan Xijie Jianguomennei.
Tel: 6525-6456.
Web: http://www.shama.com

New Office

A Prosperous Start

The first instant office in Beijing and the second of two Office General centers to reside in a U.S. Green Building Council for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building, Office General's new location in the Prosper Center will provide businesses with a greener option when it comes to innovative work spaces. Required to use more eco-friendly construction materials, the building will also use less water and up to 50 percent less energy, allowing clients to reduce both their environmental impact and overhead costs. Meanwhile LEED air-quality standards mean clients will also be able to breathe easier, both figuratively and literally. Located near the likes of Hatsune and Sunshine 100 in the heart of the CBD, it'll be easy to get away when you need it most.
Address: 5 Guanghua Lu.
Tel: 6562-5522

Open for Business

Starting June 2008, Servcorp will be putting another office space under its belt, this time within China Central Place. Classically furnished with high-backed leather chairs and granite tabletops, the space will be both comfortable and classy, while original art work and modern equipment ensure that art and tech aficionados will feel right at home. Offices come in a variety of sizes, and feature a multilingual staff and corporate boardroom equipped with video conferencing capabilities and room for up to 16 people. For those who can't physically be in Beijing, virtual office services are also available.
Address: L24, China Central Place Tower 3, 6 Xidawang Lu
Tel: 8520-0000
Web: http://www.servcorp.net

Executive Occasion

Awash in the success of its other branches, The Executive Centre has just opened a new office space within the Beijing Yintai Center. Decorated in a style best described as Asian fusion-a combination of the Chinese countryside and New York boroughs-the place abounds with Herman Miller chairs and bamboo accents within its vast 2,100 sq meters. Offices can be designed to fit as many as 72 people , and come prepped with all the latest technology available, including a Cisco IP phone system and a new video-conferencing system in one of its five boardrooms. With the Park Hyatt set to open in the same building, top executives will be guaranteed an easy commute, making work all the more pleasurable.
Address: Level 15, Yintai Office Tower C, 2 Jianguomenwai Dajie.
Tel: 5811-1818.
Web: http://www.executivecentre.com

Center of Excel-lence

Located in Xicheng’s Financial District, Regus's new office space in the Excel Center features 1,553 sq feet filled with imported furniture and carpets, as well as two meeting rooms and an executive lounge equipped with high-tech video conferencing equipment and nifty gadgets. While the main draw here is the burgeoning financial district, nearby restaurants include many Western chains and, for those who can’t seem to leave the office, an onsite sandwich and coffee bar makes getting a tasty pick-me-up easy. The new center can provide an office as small or as large as you wish, for as short or as long as you like, making the Excel Center office a great spot to navigate the Chinese financial market.
Address: 12/F, Excel Centre, 6 Wudinghou Dajie.
Tel: 8800-3700.
Web: http://www.regus.com

New Trend

Government Goes Green?

Remember how we were supposed to keep our air-conditioning above 26 Celsius last summer? How many of us actually did? While generally being outdone by private enterprise in staying on the cutting edge of green, the Chinese government has recently tacked on new amendments to pre-existing energy-saving laws. These amendments express the Chinese government’s intent to increase energy efficiency via energy-conservation requirements for new buildings and detailed regulations for construction and transportation. On top of that, the law now offers “systemic guidance outlining the energy-saving responsibilities of governments,” though we hope this applies to governments within China only.