The Opposite House is No More

Will miss the delicious Peking duck at Jin Yaa Tang

I just found out through a social media post that The Opposite House, a hotel run by Swire in Beijing has closed down. The hotel had a blow-out farewell party on June 29 and then closed its doors the next day.

The 16-year-old hotel was part of the complex known as Sanlitun, which featured a shopping mall anchored by Apple and Uniqlo, and when I was there, a Hong Kong-style restaurant that served Cantonese dishes.

The porcelain Mao jacket

Many years ago I got a tour of the hotel, and it was forward-thinking at the time with minimalist interiors, and the lobby was decorated with a larger-than-life cheongsam and a Mao jacket made from fragmented blue and white bowls and plates. 

On the lower ground floor was a fantastic restaurant called Jin Yaa Tang that served one of the city's best Peking ducks. There was an open kitchen where diners could watch ducks roasted over a jujube wood-fired oven.

According to The Beijinger, an English-language magazine, The Opposite House probably closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and high room rates. Apparently the hotel will be "converted into an innovated retail landmark."

In a sign posted outside the hotel, the Beijing Sanlitun Hotel Management Company Limited thanked people for their support.

"We deeply regret that we made such a difficult decision. We believe that the hotel closure is not a permanent separation, but a new beginning. We sincerely welcome your continued attention and support to Sanlitun Taikoo Li, and very much look forward to serving you in the near future," part of the notice read.

Why is it always spun as "separation", when the hotel is closing down for good? And it wasn't a divorce, it was a business decision that had to be made. 

Looking down on the swimming pool

The Opposite House was the sister hotel to the Upper House in Hong Kong, The Temple House in Chengdu, and The Middle House in Shanghai.