Pullman Kaifeng Jianye

The lake and private gardens visible from the rooms put Kaifeng's long history right outside the window at this full-service hotel, a short walk from Longting Park and the sprawling Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, built in tribute to the Song-dynasty scroll that every Chinese schoolchild can picture. The Chinese restaurant inside covers Cantonese, Henan, and the city's own Kaifeng cooking, which is reason enough to stay curious about the menu.