Kempinski Hotel Hangzhou

Fifty meters from the Grand Canal, which has been moving goods and ambitions from Beijing to Hangzhou for centuries, this five-star hotel puts you close enough to actually feel the city's old logic. The 344 rooms and suites look out over either the canal or the skyline, and the Presidential Suite earns its title with a 270-degree sweep of both. Two restaurants cover the bases: Zi Chen for Chinese, Frieda for European.