Bamboo Garden Hotel in Beijing, China

Bamboo Garden was the first major courtyard-style hotel in Beijing (the brochure still claims it's the only one) and among the most beautiful. It's slightly more luxurious than the Lu[vum]song Yuan , but with less character. Rooms border three, different-size courtyards, each filled with rock gardens, clusters of bamboo, and covered corridors. Standard rooms in two multi-story buildings at opposite ends of the complex are decorated with Ming-style furniture and traditional lamps that cast pleasant shadows on the high ceilings. A restaurant looks out on the rear courtyard; next door is a pleasant bar with a glass-covered fishpond as part of the floor.