3 Best Hotels in Beijing to Shanghai, China

Adjacent to the Olympic Sailing Center and a short walk from the Marina City shopping complex, this ultramodern hotel has contemporary rooms, many with expansive marina or coastal views and all with dark wood paneling, built-in mood lighting, massive LCD TVs, and stand-alone bath tubs. If price is no object, splurge on one of the Aqua Suites, which come with private sun terraces equipped with their own hot tubs.

Nicer than many hotels in Beidaihe or Shanhaiguan (but a good 15 minutes from either by cab), this property has pleasant rooms overlooking a sandy beach and the Bohai Sea; other bonuses include a nice indoor pool and, more unusually, a staff that speaks a decent level of English. Apart from the beachside location, the surrounding area—industrial Qinhuangdao—isn't particularly attractive.

Insist on a room in the newer Valley Wing at the ever-reliable Shangri-La, which is a few hundred yards from the coast, near some of the best shopping and dining in town, and just a 15-minute cab ride from historic sights. Popular with expats, Q Bar is a stylish place for a pre-dinner drink, and a genuine Milanese chef helms the hotel's Italian restaurant.