“Every family has spring water, every household has a willow tree,” is how classic Chinese literature describes the city of Jinan. The capital city of Shandong province in Eastern China, Jinan has long been associated with the poetic image of a gently swaying weeping willow on the banks of a lake. The city is affectionately dubbed the ‘Spring City’ for the 72 natural artesian springs spread around its scenic area.

 Hilton chose Jinan as the location of its debut full-service residences concept in China. Owned by Luneng Group and managed by Hilton, the Hilton Jinan South Hotel and Residences is the first international hotel in Jinan and the Hilton Group’s thirty-seventh hotel in China.

 The property comprises two 40-storey towers with a shared podium designed by East China Architectural and Design Research Institute (ECADI). International hospitality interior firm Wilson Associates was commissioned to design the interior while its F&B-focused design arm Blueplate studio handled the F&B concepts.

 Hilton Jinan South Hotel and Residences offers 316 guest rooms and 104 luxurious residences. Facilities include a swimming pool with a 180-degree panoramic view of Jinan’s mountainous area, along with a 24-hour fitness centre, sauna and steam rooms.

 ECADI has designed generous, large-scale spaces to accommodate Jinan’s thriving tourism industry. These include over 2,600 square metres of MICE facilities, a 1,000-square-metre terrace garden, and a grand ballroom with a 12-metre-high ceiling. This generosity of scale is also present in guest rooms, residences and restaurants.

 Wilson Associates have articulated these spaces adeptly by balancing elements of spectacle and restraint. Taking inspiration from the city’s natural springs, the firm has infused a sense of fluidity and the organic quality of water with soft curves, glittering surfaces, artworks and gentle transitions between spaces.

 The F&B offering is equally holistic. Blueplate has designed three restaurants and an executive lounge to indulge both business and leisure travellers.

 The Ji Lounge opposite the Front Desk on level 35 serves light bites and coffee in a warm setting complemented by a small library with a selection of international books to keep one company.

 Open, the all-day dining restaurant on level 37 offers mountain and city views in a warm setting that includes an open grill that serves as a theatre for food preparation. On level 38, modern dining restaurant View offers three semi-open dining rooms meant to accommodate larger groups.

 Reigning on the level 40 is Yuxi, a lavish Chinese restaurant (the highest in the area) that offers private dining rooms that are as dramatically designed as the view they boast.