The Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski's natural setting is intensely
beautiful.
42 villas, ranging in size from 4 to 6 bedrooms and offering a total of 236
rooms and suites, are dispersed along the steep slope of the serene valley. Each
House frames dramatic views of the sinuous landscape and The Great Wall. There
is also a private path to the original Great Wall at the Commune. The Club House
serves multiple purposes and houses a courtyard restaurant, a conference centre,
a terrace/lounge, a fitness centre, a gallery, a cinema plus a library attired
in purple and peacock feathers. The Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski
has become a showcase of contemporary Chinese and Asian architecture. It has
been widely covered by both Chinese and international media as a momentous
breakthrough in architectural history in China and Asia.
The Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski has been constantly selected
in the world’s best hotels lists. In December 2005, Commune by the Great Wall
Kempinski was named by Business Week as a “New Architectural Wonder of China.”
It is the only hotel from mainland China selected by Condé Nast Traveler as one
of “100 Hot Hotels in the World” in 2004 and was included in the Tatler Travel
Guide, 2005 as one of "the 101 Best Hotels", ranked among the 10 best "Boutique"
hotel
The Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski has accommodated famous guests
including Hollywood actresses Renee Zellweger and Michelle Yeoh, director
Anthony Minghella, Hong Kong celebrity designer Flora Cheong, Hong Kong tycoon
Richard Lee, Tod’s founder - Delle Valle, F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, tennis
star Serena Williams, and soccer coach Arie Haan.
The Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski is also the perfect place for
corporate retreats and parties as well as product launches of high-end luxury
brands. Its recent clients include Porsche, BMW, GE, Missoni, Sony and Hermès.
HistorySince its opening as both a boutique hotel and a semi-architectural museum in
October, 2002, the Commune has become a must-visit place in China
and received over 200,000 visitors across the world. The Commune is a private
collection of contemporary architecture designed by 12 Asian architects. It was
exhibited a the 2002 Biennale di Venezia.
A special prize to an individual patron of architectural works was awarded to
Ms Zhang Xin, the mastermind and the investor of the project for her “bold
personal initiative which emphasizes the role of 12 Asian architects in building
privately-owned houses in a definitely contemporary manner.” The exhibited
project model, made of wood and cardboard, has been collected by the Centre
Pompidou, Paris, as its first permanent collection from China. The management of
the commune was taken over by Kempinski Hotels & Resorts in August, 2005, and
the Commune was then renamed “Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski”.