Changing phases

The opening ceremony of the St. Regis Chengdu highlighted local cultural elements, such as the "face-changing" technique of Sichuan Opera. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Indoors, guests and media were guided on a hotel tour showing off St. Regis' famed hospitality with class.

All guest rooms and suites enjoy the legendary St. Regis butler service. The furnishings, too, reflect a similar attention to detail, including the Sichuan prickly ash motif which peppers patterns on cushions, soft furnishings and the hand-tufted carpeting.

Guests are pampered in the rooms with a high technology shower system that reputedly cost 80,000 yuan ($12,909) each. Bathrooms also feature a deep tub and an automatic water closet that does just about everything, including keeping the toilet seat suitably heated during winter.

Another modern innovation is an in-room tablet that controls everything from the curtains to the lights. It also acts as a television remote. The tablet elevates in-room amenities to a whole new level, along with a flat-screen television that automatically rises from its cabinet as soon as the guest enters the room.

In a city where good food is expected and demanded, St. Regis Chengdu rises to the occasion with six restaurants and bars including Social, an all-day dining restaurant with a wide selection of international cuisine; Yan Ting, the signature Chinese restaurant offering Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine; Yun Fu, which has four distinct private dining rooms on level 27 and Decanter, Chengdu's only dedicated wine bar, curated by a master sommelier.

Finally, the signature drink specially created for Chengdu is the Chuan Mary, a spicier version of the world famous St. Regis Bloody Mary, made with freshly juiced cherry tomatoes, sweet Sichuan soy sauce, the local chili sauce and a sprig of fresh Sichuan peppercorns.