It's all over social media! Celebrities are checking in at Shenzhen's URBN

As the first URBN hotel in South China, a high-end brand under Vanke, this boutique hotel, redesigned by Neri&Hu Design and Research Office, was once an ordinary village house in Nantou Ancient City. Now, it has become the best gateway to explore the local character of Shenzhen.

The hotel building itself is a brilliant example of renovation. The designers retained the original concrete structure and, through a method of "cutting and inserting," created a rich system of three-dimensional courtyards within the six-story space.

The basic room types (28-35㎡) utilize movable partitions for multifunctional transformations, with an embedded relief map of the ancient city at the headboard serving as a striking detail. The top-floor "Terrace Suite" boasts a private rooftop garden, where the Shenzhen Bay skyline and the ancient city's grey-tiled roofs create a fascinating visual overlap. All rooms feature custom-made furniture incorporating natural materials like rattan and wood, amenities from the local Shenzhen brand "Sense of Scent" with a gardenia fragrance, and a minibar stocked with Shajing oyster-flavored potato chips—a delightful local touch.

The restaurant on the first floor specializes in "New Style Lingnan Cuisine." We recommend trying their signature dish, "Coconut Shajing Oysters," which features fresh oysters from Shenzhen's west coast prepared in the style of coconut chicken. For brunch, the "Nantou Rice Noodle Roll Trilogy" offers a variation on Cantonese rice noodle rolls with three different sauces. Notably, the hotel doesn't have a fixed menu, instead adjusting its dishes based on the seasonal markets of Nantou Ancient City—a refreshing dining concept that embraces community symbiosis.

The amenities of URBN Hotel extend to the entire Nantou Ancient City. The front desk provides an "Ancient City Exploration Pack" containing a hand-drawn map, discount coupons for partner businesses, and a custom audio guide. Following the map reveals many surprises: the "Plaque Story Museum," a 3-minute walk away, houses shop signs from the Ming and Qing dynasties; around the corner, the "Dongguan Guild Hall" is the most complete Qing Dynasty guild hall building remaining in Shenzhen.

More than just a place to stay, URBN Hotel is a key to unlocking the multifaceted nature of Shenzhen—a place where the mists of dynastic changes, the waves of reform and opening up, and the creative energy of young people coexist, weaving together the cultural DNA of this migrant city.

Post by VilhoHaapala | Apr 18, 2025