Five-Star Bungalows, Set Among Ancient Bamboo Forests, Offer A Welcome Retreat For Shanghai Residents To Get Away From The Hustle And Bustle#
Life in Shanghai, China's financial capital and one of the world's most hectic and vibrant business centers, is notoriously stressful, with competition fierce and the pace of life frenetic. Luckily for Shanghai residents, however, the city is within easy driving (or rail) distance to the ancient resort city of Hangzhou and the lush bamboo forests of Moganshan. Possibly with this stressed-out Shanghai daytripper in mind, Naked Retreats -- a "boutique eco-hotel"-- has created a unique sanctuary in Moganshan, Zhejiang Province, designed to be something of a natural decompression chamber for business travelers and eco-tourists alike.
As Urbanatomy Shanghai writes this week, Naked Retreats has recently begun construction on a new addition to the personal bungalows and main lodge of their luxurious eco-hotel -- "Naked Stables," offering horse riding excursions for visitors looking to take in the sights and sounds of Moganshan's natural forests:
If you’ve never heard of Naked Retreats, you really are missing out. Their Eco-luxury guest houses are surrounded by 150,000sqm of pristine bamboo forests with crystal mountain streams trickling down the valley and views to die for.
With their new project, in addition to providing luxury cabins on the mountain, naked are attempting to get LEED Platinum status (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). If obtained, naked stables will be the first resort in China with such prestigious eco-acclaim, and maybe even in the world (a place in the States is being assessed as you read).
Naked Retreats appears to be shrewdly courting both the Shanghai weekend traveler and the globehopping eco-tourist in equal measures. Although the hotel offers five-star services like balcony jacuzzis, personal butlers, a state-of-the-art health and wellness center and organic Chinese and Western room service -- and that's just the services inside the hotel -- for many of the Shanghai-based visitors to Naked Retreats, who are accustomed to luxury appointments like these, the biggest draw might just be the ability to get up close and personal with nature. A welcome respite from the daily grind.
A room in the Purple Ridge Lodge runs from a reasonable 350 RMB / US$51 (weekday) to 450 RMB / US$66 (weekend). Bungalows range from 520 RMB / US$76 (weekday) to 750 RMB / US$110 (weekend).