DunHuang FengMingSha Hotel

The name translates roughly as "the sound of wind over the singing sands," and from the courtyard of this 15-room boutique hotel you can watch the Mingsha dunes shift from gold to amber through the day, so the name isn't overreaching. The design layers Silk Road references throughout, from Mogao Cave mural motifs to Persian-patterned rugs and arched doorways. Breakfast is served on the rooftop or in the rock garden below.