HE 354-room JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen Bao’an threw open its doors in February 2015, not far from the airport, serving up some hefty MICE muscle and luxury trim. The pleasingly minimalist cream marble lobby rises up cathedral-like to greet a 'phoenix' chandelier undulating across the ceiling. The phoenix is the design leitmotif and its roost – a silver pinnacle - dominates the otherwise quiet entrance.

Bao’an is a largely green corner of Shenzhen though development proceeds apace with cranes vying for skyline space. Nothing is too close in however, including the stylish adjoining residence in neat gray with water features linking it to the hotel. Expect elbowroom galore. This JW weighs in as one of the top Shenzhen conference hotels with eight meeting rooms with a combined 27,986sq ft (the Grand Ballroom serves up 2,070sq ft) for stylish small corporate meetings, lavish trade shows or weddings.

A 43sq m Deluxe will appeal to both business and leisure travellers with its elegant finish. Think floor-to-ceiling windows, soundproofing, pastel tones with cobalt blue carpeting, overstuffed virginal white king-size beds, settees with turquoise cushions, contemporary Chinese-lantern lamps, free WiFi and 42-inch LCD TVs. A monochrome Chinese brushstroke painting completes the setting, with Aromatherapy Associates bath amenities.

A 90sq m Deluxe Bay View Suite serves up two flat-screen TVs and an egg-shaped 'pod' Japanese toilet to pamper your derriere. Our pick is the corner Premier with its curved glass window that runs the entire length of the room right up to a startlingly exposed bathtub. For the health inclined there’s a 40m heated indoor pool and a fitness centre. A spa is in the works and three F&B outlets cater for all tastebuds. This is a pleasant construct with lavish finish. Not much nosh in the locality but the hotel will more than make up for it.