The Temple House Chengdu Opens in July 2015

The newest hotel in Chengdu, China officially opened on 18 July 2015 amidst delays to open in Q1 this year. Part of Swire Hotels, The Temple House, Chengdu is located in the recently opened Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li in the heart of Jinjiang District, south of Dacisi Road, east of Shamao Street and close to the popular Chunxi Road shopping area.

The Temple House is the third property of The House Collective. The House Collective’s first hotel The Opposite House opened in Beijing in 2008 followed by The Upper House in Hong Kong. It is also under the Preferred Hotels Group where Gold and Platinum iPrefer members receive a unique amenity when booking here or through iPrefer.com.

With a very earthy theme of greens and tree-branch design, this boutique hotel features 100 guest rooms as well as 42 serviced apartments which mostly overlooks the newly opened Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li shopping and dining destination.

Chinese Emperors previously stayed at the nearby Daci Temple. Today The Temple House evokes the modest houses provided for scholars who came from the world over to study at the Temple. The hotel continues the tradition of humility by creating understated luxury experiences that are founded on a deeply personalised service for every guest.

The Hotel Lobby

The Hotel lobby sits inside the compound amidst vast greens. Step into the lobby, and you will be brought into a homely setting of sofa seating, wide spaces, a small garden area that also leads you to a library or lounge area for you to just relax, read or get some work done as well as an art gallery area.

Wine and Dine at The Temple House Chengdu

The food and beverage offerings here are located at street or courtyard level so that they are easily accessible. There are four outlets including an all day dining at The Temple Cafe, Tivano which serves Italian cuisine and the Jing bar as well as The Tea House.

The restaurants and bar are stylishly designed by Avroko with concepts developed by David Laris.

The Jing Bar

The Jing Bar serves speak-easy style hand-crafted drinks as well as international and local beer. There is an outdoor space with bar and landscape seating. Inside the air-conditioned area of the bar, you can order finger food to accompany your drinks as well.

During my visit, I had a glass of Negroni. Okay I lied, I had two glasses. A refreshing tipple that went well with the seasoned cashews and almonds. Have one for me when you visit Jing.

The Temple Cafe

Enjoy an all-day dining menu of international favourites with local influence at the cafe.  You can grab your breakfast and go at the retail counter or dine in. Deli items such as sandwiches, pastries, desserts, coffee, fresh juices and soft drinks are available in the grab-and-go packages.

Tivano

TIVANO serves up Italian cuisine. The restaurant has a split level as well as an upper dining area. The open kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven and a wine cellar give you a rather homely feeling. The bar serves Italian aperitifs and cocktails.

Teahouse

The Teahouse is located just outside The Temple Cafe away from the main hotel compound.  The hotel’s spa Mi Xun is next to The Tea House. Mi Xun was not ready for us to take a look when we visited in June 2015.

The Teahouse offers a light menu of healthy food and drinks. The wood-lined decor here is inspired by a traditional Chinese medicinal shop and the healing power of plants.

The Guest Rooms

There are nine categories of rooms – Studio 60, 70 or 90, Temple Suite, Deluxe Temple Suite, Courtyard Suite, Deluxe Courtyard Suite, Premier Courtyard Suite, and Penthouse.

All rooms in the hotel feature Bose Bluetooth portable speaker, 46 inch interactive TV with streaming for Android and iOS devices, Bowers and Wilkins soundbar in some room types, complimentary wired and wireless high-speed internet access, spacious bathroom and walk-in rain shower, complimentary Maxi Bar, Complimentary espresso machine and a selection of tea and infusions as well as down bedding.

The Studio 60 has a room size of 63sqm. The Studio 70 measures 72sqm while the Studio 90 measures 96sqm. The Studios are priced between 1,799RMB to 2,199RMB.

The size of the Suites are between 90 sqm to 215 sqm. The two-level Premier Courtyard Suite is located on level one. Measuring 215sqm, it offers two separate bedrooms, a living area, and spa-inspired bathroom with limestone-clad tub and walk-in rain shower. Best available rate for The Premier Courtyard Suite starts from 8,889 RMB.

The Deluxe Courtyard Suite is also a two-level suite measuring 123 sqm and is available from 4,899RMB.

The Penthouse measures 287 sqm and is located on the 11 and 12th floor of the hotel. There is a private terrace with an exercise area for yoga or massage as well as an outdoor jacuzzi. The penthouse also comes with a small kitchen, with a separate entrance, an open bathroom with a freestanding bathtub and a double walk-in shower. Cosy up in the penthouse at the double-sided fireplace and private library.

Appelles toiletries are provided here. They are packed neatly in an amenity kit similar to what business or first-class airline passengers get when flying. More about this amenity kit here.

Other Facilities

Guests at The Temple House get to use the other facilities here. The indoor pool is very inviting especially if you do not want to get a tan or you would like to take a dip during the cooler seasons in Chengdu.

There is a gym for the fitness buff but I would probably run around the Taikoo Li complex. The MI XUN spa located near The Teahouse will be offering nature-inspired private individual ‘pods’ for spa treatments.

The Temple House is located at 81 Bi Tie Shi Street, Chengdu, 610000 China.