Photo: Sven Zhang

The Anadu Resort lies at the bottom of Mount Mogan, near the city of Huzhou. The mountain constitutes part of the Moganshan National Park, known for cool temperatures even during the region’s scorching summers, making it extremely popular among the Shanghai elite.

Studio8, a Shanghai-based architectural company, drew inspiration from tea leaves and bamboo canes in designing the Anadu Resort. Befitting of the rustic terrain surrounding the hotel, guests are transported to a sanctuary far from the bustle of the city that does not deviate from the integrity of Moganshan National Park as the hotel seamlessly marries nature with luxury lodging. The boutique hotel was commissioned by a group of private investors with an intent to offer a relaxing holiday experience amongst flora and fauna of the park.

Photo: Sven Zhang

“One of the requests from the client was to ‘design a room for the [guests] to stay for a whole day without stepping out’, where there is no TV or iPad,” mentioned the architects, “therefore we came up with the concept of ‘finding yourself in nature’, where guests can stay by themselves, reading or thinking amongst nature.”

Luxury Lodging Made For Nature

At 30,000 sqm, the hotel comprises of three stacked rectilinear volumes, with interior spaces strategically designed to provide guests with eclectic panoramic views of the landscape from multiple directions. For instance, rooms facing east offer views of a dense bamboo forest, while those facing south, elevated, enjoy views of a distant mountain range. On the other hand, a sprawling tea field greets the suites facing west. And all the while, guests find themselves immersed in a space with elements reminiscent of the natural landscape.

The hotel is ostensibly earth-tone and stone colour dominant. Such a colour palette is in line with the landscape of Moganshan. For suites that face the mountain, guests will see the primary use of colours like slate grey, and suites facing the bamboo forest are decorated with bamboo wood furniture. The hotel also introduced sheer, jade-green curtains throughout the western rooms to parallel the colour of white tea leaves.

“We wanted to design a contemporary building, and by orientating the rooms to the different natural elements around, the shape of the building is in a way naturally formed,” explained the architects.

For the exterior of the Anadu, Studio8 used strips of bamboo create a “second skin” around the hotel, screening its chiefly glazed facade, softening the look of the space – the result is a warm, cosy, and inviting home to guests of Moganshan.

“After first contact with the site, [we] felt something was missing: a lack of water presence… Water itself, and especially a very calm water surface, immediately generates a sense of relaxation.” – said the architects of the Anadu Resort Hotel.

As such, guests can also find an infinity pool on the roof of the hotel’s second level that offers views of the vast valley all around. The water reflects the sky and surrounding landscape, marked by a series of square stepping stones that guides guests living in the third floor suite to a sunbathing platform that offers expansive views, adding a touch of finesse to the aesthetic of the space.

On the first floor, communal areas are fraught with concrete floors and walls. To warm the space up, timber bench seats and dining tables furnish the space. Furthermore, the kitchen at the same level offers guests the option of whipping up their own food using local produce, grown on the land surrounding the hotel.

Rooms start at approximately $434 per night, via The Anadu