Of the dozen new properties set to open in the city before this summer's Olympic Games, the first might also be the best. It's certainly the hippest: Opening today next to the Imperial Palace, the Emperor Hotel has an angular, Day-Glo aesthetic, courtesy of LA- and Berlin-based Graft Lab—the same design firm behind both Berlin's stylish Hotel Q and those pink tents for Brad Pitt's New Orleans Pink Project. They've outfitted the new joint with a glass-walled rice wine cellar at restaurant Shi, and a sleek rooftop bar, Yin. (Also on the roof: a Jacuzzi. They must be hoping the city's notorious smog will die down a bit.) And if you're going before the games, be sure to check out the photos from German artist Sascha Kramer, whose work will be on display throughout the building until the end of June.
The Emperor Hotel, rooms from about $175, 33 Qihelou St., Dongcheng District, Beijing, 011 +86 10 6526 5566, designhotels.com