Beijing was in the global spotlight at the beginning of the month as the city played host to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Week. And with the much-celebrated APEC-blue skies casting a glorious glow over proceedings, the city was able to show off its charms to great effect.

Nowhere was this more evident than in the picturesque Yanqi Lake area 60 kilometers north of the city center, where the lovely lakeside vistas and picturesque panoramas of the Yanshan mountains provided a natural setting conducive to fostering the positive message of togetherness that the region's leaders sent out after their meeting on Nov 11 at the Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing and Yanqi Island.

Kempinski's largest and newest property in China, which only opened for stays on Nov 17, actually comprises 14 separate hotels offering a total of 595 sumptuous guestrooms and suites. The distinctive and stunning snail-like shell of Sunrise Kempinski Hotel, Beijing sparkles on the lakeshore, while Yanqi Hotel and 12 boutique hotels are situated on a 14-square-kilometer island.