JW Marriott Hotel Harbin River North

From the upper floors of this Songhua River tower hotel, the illuminated ice sculptures of Harbin Ice and Snow World glow to the north, which tells you something about why people come to Harbin in January. The 300-plus rooms face either the river or the city, with wide windows that pull their weight year-round. Three restaurants cover Chinese, local Northeastern, and international menus, and two lounges handle afternoon tea through evening cocktails.