JOY OF DISCOVERY
From left: The hotel’s
Bitieshi venue,
a historic building
from the Qing Dynasty;
Kurt Macher, general
manager for The
Temple House
THE TEMPLE HOUSE | TATLER FOCUS
T
he rich cultural heritage of Sichuan
and the rapid growth of Chengdu into
an exciting modern metropolis inspire
many of the unique experiences
offered to guests at the city’s ultra-chic The
Temple House hotel, which is celebrating its
second anniversary.
“Chengdu is without doubt a charming
city,” says general manager Kurt Macher. “In
the past few years, there has been a spate of
five-star hotels opening their doors here. The
Temple House has led the pack in the luxurious
hotel race with its modern-meets-tradition
style and bespoke hospitality. Our aim is that
every guest gets to experience Chengdu at its
most authentic and innovative, through culture,
fashion, art and wellness.”The hotel has collaborated with various luxury
brands on special programmes and projects
for guests, including McLaren, Hublot, Cartier
and Christofle. For example, in its first year The
Temple Café served up a “Love Lanvin” afternoon
tea in collaboration with the fashion brand. Each
guest received a Chinese-style fan or chic cotton
tote bag featuring hand-drawn illustrations by
Alber Elbaz, then the creative director of the
French maison.
The hotel’s stunning Bitieshi venue—a historic
Qing dynasty building complete with traditional
courtyard—showcases works by accomplished
local artists. A fascinating range of activities for
guests includes classes on Nvshu, an ancient
script derived from Chinese characters. It was
developed and used exclusively by women in
Hunan who had no access to formal education.
As part of celebrations for its second
anniversary, The Temple House held a two-day
“Exploration” event in July during which guests
were given behind-the-scenes tours of the hotel.
“We wanted guests to explore and get to know
The Temple House better,” says Macher, “so we
took 200 guests on tours of staff-only areas
to show them a different perspective of The
Temple House.”
As the hotel—a member of the House
Collective by Swire, which includes The
Upper House in Admiralty—marks its second
anniversary, Macher is marking his first in
Chengdu. “It’s a laid-back and beautiful city
steeped in history and culture. I spend the
majority of my time at the hotel, though, so I think
of the staff as my family. I feel great joy when
I see guests smiling and when the team is
achieving growth and success.” QChengdu Charmer
As The Temple House celebrates its second
anniversary, general manager Kurt Macher
finds Chengdu’s ancient culture a constant
source of inspiration for the hotel