Stretching more than 1,400 miles across the sublime landscape of southwest China, Tea-Horse Road is one of the oldest trade routes in the world and today home to a wanderlust-inspiring collection of boutique hotels from LUX* Hotels & Resorts. Currently made up of six remote lodges and hideaways, the LUX* Tea Horse Road China collection will welcome its newest member this summer with a new escape in the ancient town of Shangri-La.
Guests staying at any of the LUX* Tea Horse Road retreats have front row seats to some of the most spectacular and unspoiled scenery in China, and LUX* Tea Horse Road Shangri-La is no exception. Perched at a lofty 3,200 metres above sea level, the 18 rooms and suites, lounge bar and restaurant all look out across the dramatic, mountainous landscape of Northwestern Yunnan Province and the rooftops of Dukezong Ancient Town, the oldest part of Shangri-La, which sits just below the hotel.
Guests can find breath-taking sites on the doorstep, including Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, and the sacred Shika Snow Mountain, which towers above the landscape at 4,500 metres. Nature-based experiences abound at Potatso National Park, home to myriad hiking opportunities and wildlife including flocks of Black-necked Cranes; and at Napa Lake, where yaks, wild horses and Tibetan pigs roam freely. The LUX* team can help plan a bespoke journey along Tea Horse Road from two nights to two weeks, travelling between the hotels in a private car and staying at selected properties based on the interests of each traveller, from cultural immersion to active experiences.
Two more hotels will open on Tea Horse Road in the next 12 months: one in the ancient walled city of Dali and one in the deep south of Yunnan in Pu’er, extending the collection all the way to the source of this legendary trade route.