Shangri-La Hotel, Guangzhou

The outdoor pool here is enormous enough that you'd briefly forget you're in one of southern China's largest cities. This Shangri-La property runs to over 700 rooms, a putting green, tennis courts, and grounds lush enough to feel more resort than urban hotel. Business travelers come for the nearby exhibition center; everyone else comes to escape downtown traffic. The metro is a short walk away when the city beckons.