Located in the centre of Sichuan’s capital, Upper House Chengdu blends restored Qing Dynasty courtyard homes with minimalist modern design – expect spacious, apartment-like rooms, thoughtful service and an atmospheric spa

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Location

This is as central as it gets. Upper House Chengdu is located in Taikoo Li, a bustling shopping district where designer boutiques occupy restored traditional houses. Despite the bustle outside – busy streets packed with neon signs and LED screens – the hotel itself sits on a secluded road, which helps insulate it from much of the noise and light pollution.

The hotel is a 10-minute walk to Chengdu IFS Mall, where a giant panda sculpture can be found hanging off the side of the building; this is hot social media fodder for domestic tourists. Just beyond that is Chunxi Road, the main thoroughfare for shopping and dining and the nearest metro stop. This is the perfect spot to sample local cuisine, from chilli pepper hot pot to tian shui mian (thick noodles with spicy sesame sauce). Many shuttle buses to panda research centres, on the outskirts of the city, also depart from here.

It’s about an hour and a half by car from Chengdu Tianfu International Airport. The hotel’s central location also puts attractions such as Wenshu Yuan Monastery and Kuanzhai Alley within an easy 15- to 20-minute ride on a DiDi, China’s answer to Uber.

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The vibe

The design aesthetic features an intriguing mix of historic and modern elements. A Qing Dynasty heritage building, once a translator’s office, has been transformed by Make Architects into the hotel’s courtyard lobby. Its original columns, beams and roof framing – crafted from Chinese hemlock wood sourced from Sichuan – were carefully restored. Traditional bamboo-wattle-and-earth walls and qing wa (grey clay roof tiles) further preserve the character of the original buildings.

Walking into the courtyard, you’re greeted by rows of red lanterns and a 100-year-old plane tree. By the entrance, a silver phoenix feather sculpture by Chengdu artist Wu Haiying references the Chinese folklore that this mythical creature only rests on plane trees. It certainly makes for a very atmospheric welcome.

The square is flanked by a library and gallery, while another historic house from a similar era has been repurposed as Mi Xun Spa and Teahouse. The 100 rooms and 42 residences are housed within two L-shaped, new-build towers. Their glass window panels feature bamboo patterns, a nod to the forests in Sichuan. A few tiered grass mounds can be found across the hotel grounds, designed to resemble the rice terraces of the countryside.

Service

Service overall is prompt and professional. The team was eager to explain the amenities in my room and how everything works, and the front desk was very speedy with replacing my key card when I lost it. The staff at the front door were quick with helping me locate my DiDi ride, and took initiative with opening car doors and loading luggage when needed.

Special mention also goes to the restaurant staff at Mi Xun Teahouse. My waiter was great at explaining the concept and origin of the dishes, and very patiently broke down the spice levels of each option (as I have a lower tolerance). He also provided a detailed introduction on the in-house tea collection and various brewing methods.

Bed and bath

A generous amount of space is the defining quality to the home-away-from-home feeling here. Even entry level rooms are 678 sq ft – as large as some hotel suites – with neutral tones and cream sofas that increase in size as you move up the categories. Beds are particularly cossetting, with down duvets and headboards framed by black wood bedside panels; the pull-out drawers conceal charging plugs. Rooms with the best views look onto the converted old homes in Taikoo Li.

The vibe is minimalist and peaceful, with comfy grey throws and wooden furniture. My Deluxe Temple Suite had a few Chinese-inspired touches, including rattan chairs, orchid displays and Chinese porcelain. One feature I particularly liked is the “maxi bar” in every room, stocked with complimentary beer, water and soft drinks; other alcoholic drinks are charged. There are also Jing teabags, White Rabbit (famous milky sweets from Shanghai) and delicious Huanglaowu peanut crisps made in Chengdu.

Bathrooms are pitch-dark cocoons, dressed in black stone walls, sinks and floors. Thankfully, the huge wall-to-wall mirror in mine had LED-lit edges that provided excellent lighting for doing makeup. Entry level rooms are shower-only, while higher-category suites come with separate tubs and shower rooms. Dyson hairdryers and Bamford toiletries, which arrive in an Upper House-branded zip bag you can take home, are nice touches.

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Food and drink

Breakfast is served semi-buffet style at The Temple Café, with additional à la carte options available. The buffet spans bacon and sausages, pastries, congee, dim sum, cold cuts, fruits and a salad bar. It’s definitely worth spending extra on the wide-ranging à la carte menu, which includes Chengdu classics (spicy dandan noodles), Japanese prawn sando, plus Western options such as crab omelettes and slow-cooked steak with eggs and polenta. The pork wontons are so good, I ordered them every morning during my stay. The beef noodle soup is also solid; you can choose a non-spicy version for both.

Mi Xun Teahouse is a vegetarian restaurant with a “mountain and spring” concept, and utilises produce from nearby Qingcheng Mountain and Dujiangyan City, where the Min River runs through. As is customary for Sichuanese cuisine, most of the dishes feature a hefty amount of chilli, but the level of spiciness is counterbalanced with nutty sauces. Highlights include a spicy bamboo shoot salad covered in sesame seeds and spinach dan dan noodles topped with crunchy pistachio. I also really enjoyed the textures in the ice lettuce salad, served with two kinds of sesame sauce. Desserts are excellent: order the delicately sweet rose peach gum soup, or the mochi-like tea cakes. The restaurant also boasts a wide tea collection from all over China; the must-try is the Mengding Huangya, a yellow bud tea from Sichuan, which gets more fragrant the longer you brew it.

Rounding out the dining offerings is Tivano, a glamorous restaurant serving Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, and Jing Bar, an attractive watering hole with hanging plants and regular DJ nights.

Facilities

Mixun Spa, housed in a converted Qing Dynasty building, offers treatments inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. I recommend the bamboo massage, which uses a hand-polished bamboo stick sourced from Qingcheng Mountain. The therapists warm up the bamboo before using it along lymphatic points to relax the muscles and boost circulation. The courtyard, with its red lanterns and views of distant skyscrapers, is a lovely place to unwind with a cup of tea afterwards.

The gym and pool are housed in the newer building alongside the hotel rooms. The indoor pool has leaf-shaped loungers and is a good size for swimming laps, with recessed ceiling lights casting a soft, ambient glow. The gym is fairly spacious and well stocked with fruit and water. I also liked the abundant stacks of fashion magazines for a relaxing read after a swim.

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Accessibility

There are two wheelchair accessible rooms with wall-mounted safety rails, as well as lifts to all areas.

Pet policy

The residence building allows pets, with advance confirmation with the hotel. There’s a daily cleaning fee of RMB 200 (£23), plus an additional RMB 5,000 (£563) deposit.

Check in/check out

Check in is 2pm, check out is 12 noon.

Family-friendly?

The hotel offers a two-bedroom family suite with a bunk bed, along with other suites that can be interconnected. High chairs are also available. Little ones will appreciate all the free candy and snacks in the rooms.

At a glance

Best thing: The fabulously convenient location, with all the main attractions in Chengdu on your door step

Perfect for: Couples and first-timers looking for a discreet city-centre hotel. On my visit, I spotted a Hong Kong pop singer during check-in; Hollywood celebrities promoting in Chengdu have also stayed here

Not right for: Someone looking for a nature-focused escape

Instagram from: The historic lobby courtyard, underneath the plane tree and red lanterns

Address: 81 Bitieshi Street, Jinjiang District, Chengdu, Sichuan 610021, China

Phone: +86 28 6636 9999

Website: thesetcollection.com

Venus was a guest of The Set

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