A few months before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the anticipated influx of athletes and tourists to the city, the Small Luxury Hotels member in the People’s Republic of China opened its doors on April 18.

The 55-room hotel, The Emperor, is located adjacent to the former Imperial Palace of the Forbidden City, an acclaimed UNESCO world heritage site. Nestled in an old tree-lined avenue among traditional Chinese temples and houses, the hotel offers a tranquil respite from the hectic city pace of Beijing though located in its geographic centre