Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver

The 119-room 2009-debut dopts the mountain-fringed British Columbia city’s easygoing vibe, while adding a touch of Far Eastern style and design. Tucked into the lower 15 floors of the Living Shangri-La multiuse complex downtown (Vancouver’s tallest building), the new hotel features black-lacquer screens and a two-story calligraphy painting— a single brushstroke by Shanghai artist Wang Xuyuan—in its L-shaped lobby. Nearby, beneath Italian crystal chandeliers, are inviting leather sofas and a fireplace, ideal as a refuge on a rainy day or a rest stop while exploring bustling nearby enclaves such as boutique- and bistro-filled Yaletown or the West End waterfront. Averaging close to 600 square feet, the rooms are done up with a Zen-like mixture of black-and-white brush paintings, dark wood headboards, and B&B Italia furniture. White-marble bathrooms are stocked with L’Occitane amenities and have deep soaking tubs. Also worth a visit is the hotel’s pocket-size boutique, By Design, which sells Shanghai Tang’s brightly colored accessories as well as locally made silver jewelry carved with Native Canadian designs.