Rissai Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Framed by the Minshan mountains, the 87 villas at Rissai Valley take their proportions and colour palette from the nine Tibetan villages scattered through the surrounding peaks. This is the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve built in China, set in Zhongcha Valley a short drive from the emerald lakes and waterfalls of the Jiuzhaigou UNESCO site. WATG designed the buildings; the late Jaya Ibrahim handled interiors, and John Pettigrew the landscape. Stone, timber and local textiles carry through the rooms, a deliberate echo of the villages outside the window. Rissai Spa runs seven treatment rooms, including two couple's suites, plus an indoor pool with a mountain view. It draws on Tibetan ritual as much as on the valley's plants and water. Dining splits across two kitchens: La Montagne serves Mediterranean plates built from local produce, while Cai Lin Xuan turns out Sichuan, Tibetan and Cantonese dishes. A chauffeured buggy moves guests between the two. The resort holds three Michelin Keys, a first for a hotel on the Chinese mainland. Its single ballroom, the Qiong Qia, opens onto three terraces and seats up to 150 for a wedding or conference. Guests can walk into the 180,000-acre nature reserve on foot, or simply watch the snow line shift on the peaks above the pool.