A high-ceilinged lobby featuring colors drawn from thangka paintings and floating clouds (an iconic Tibetan motif) rendered in hammered bronze sets the tone for Lhasa’s latest luxury hotel. Opened on April 17, the Shangri-La Hotel, Lhasa (86-891/655-8888; doubles from US$375) also puts a local touch on its 279 guest rooms, some of which offer views of the Potala Palace. Come mealtime, there’s a tapas bar serving Tibetan-inspired nibbles and a menu of Cantonese and Sichuan dishes at the signature Shang Palace. And should the high-altitude setting leave you gasping, retreat to the hotel’s oxygen lounge, set in a pair of pavilions overlooking landscaped gardens. –David Tse

This article originally appeared in the April/May 2014 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“High Style”).