Chengdu 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
The 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.”