Drawing inspiration from Yunnan’s celebrated tea culture and Kunming’s reputation as the City of Eternal Spring, AvroKO’s Bangkok studio has crafted the interiors of Shangri-La Kunming as an immersive journey through the region’s natural beauty.
A love letter to Yunnan
The experience begins before guests enter the hotel. A pebble-lined driveway winds through lush gardens toward a porte-cochère modeled after Kunming’s historic archways, where landscaped courtyards blur the line between architecture and nature. From there, guests ascend via a sedan chair-inspired lift that references traditional Chinese ceremonial processions, transitioning from the garden into an elevated courtyard lobby.
On the 18th floor, the arrival experience unfolds as a reinterpretation of a traditional Chinese mansion. Framed by pavilion-inspired architecture and elegant window openings, the boutique lobby, where guests are welcomed with Yunnan tea as an introduction to the region’s hospitality traditions, centers around a sculptural installation reminiscent of a tea ceremony.
Public spaces at Shangri-La Kunming
Beyond, the Horizon Lounge serves as the social heart of the hotel. Conceived as a modern pavilion overlooking Kunming, the light-filled space balances residential comfort with refined hospitality through layered seating areas, natural materials, and expansive views that encourage guests to linger throughout the day.
Nearby, Suma, the hotel’s signature restaurant, draws on Yunnan’s diverse terroir, extending the property’s narrative through a culinary experience rooted in local landscapes and traditions.
Throughout the public spaces, AvroKO’s design emphasizes fluid movement between interior and exterior environments, with courtyards, terraces, and water features offering moments of quiet reflection and a deep connection to Yunnan’s landscape and tea heritage.
Guestrooms at the Kunming retreat
Guest accommodations continue the design vision through a collection of nature-inspired room concepts. Executive guestrooms celebrate Kunming’s perpetual spring with botanical motifs and sculptural green accents, while premier guestrooms draw on the region’s biodiversity through artistic references to birds, butterflies, and native wildlife.
The specialty suites, meanwhile, each tell a distinct story—from a rainforest-inspired Family Suite inspired by Xishuangbanna’s ecosystems to the romantic Yunnan Rose Pavilion. The Executive Suite pays tribute to centuries-old Pu’er tea traditions with woven bamboo, clay-inspired finishes, and an in-room tea ceremony experience, while the 2,066-square-foot Shangri-La Suite crowns the hotel with a private tea garden-inspired retreat centered around rare teas, handcrafted ceramics, and immersive cultural rituals.
