GREEN T HOUSE Living Launches The Bath House Residence

(Beijing, 27, May, 2009) – Set to open on 31st May 2009, GREEN T. HOUSE Living’s funky new Bath House Residence aims to revive China’s ancient zen bathing culture in a cool, contemporary yet ultra luxurious style at Beijing’s top lifestyle destination GREEN T. HOUSE Living.



Inspired by the bath house of a Tang Dynasty Emperor, The Bath House Residence was designed by the venue’s glamorous founder, musician, tea-master and trend-setter JinR. It is her first venture that extends the GREEN T. HOUSE brand beyond tea houses and restaurants and into the wider arena of spa and hospitality – while taking the same invigorating and surprising “new China” approach for which her brand is renowned.



The lifestyle destination now adds to the existing teahouse, fine dining, art and cultural events space a new bath and residence component for private bookings which includes a vast indoor green tea bath and a sumptuous onsen-style rooftop Jacuzzi for up to 20.



The private villa is set in its own fragrant garden within the 15,000 square metre grounds of GREEN T. HOUSE Living, which was last year named as one of the world’s hottest new venues by Condé Nast Traveler.



“The Bath House Residence expresses through nature’s elegance the interaction between human beings’ understanding of our outside environment and of our inner selves. It is designed to ensure that guests take time out to recharge, since the most beautiful journey to be had is the one of our inner travels, where the journey itself is its own reward,” says JinR of her philosophy in creating this tranquil yet surprising space.



The 1500 square metre Bath House Residence can sleep up to ten for ‘high end slumber parties’ in loft bedrooms as well as traditional curtained four poster “emperor’s beds” in the open living space and includes an enormous GREEN T. infused hot steam bath which is revitalising to the skin and rich in anti-oxidants.



The Bath House Residence takes only one booking at a time, but this can be for as few as two people or up to a group of eight for overnight stays, and can be up to 25 people for daytime Bathing Retreats which are usually combined with dinner or lunch.



These luxurious guest experiences can be customised to suit guests’ needs and may include such unique and exquisite experiences as GREEN T. HOUSE’s signature fine dining with wines champagnes and cocktails, tea ceremonies, bathing rituals and massage therapies inspired by traditional Chinese medicine and complete with signature GREEN T. oils and seasonal bath products. One unique and decadent offering is the GREEN T. HOUSE eight hands massage, the ultimate in indulgent pampering fit for an Emperor.



All of this, uniquely, can take place in the presence of contemporary Chinese video art and live musical performances with classical Chinese instruments.



Before embarking on this unique experience, guests change into Chinese Song dynasty inspired robes made of the finest raw cotton from Xinjiang province - first discovered on the Silk Road centuries ago.



At the core of the Bath House Residence is an immense 12-metre long communal dining table, carved from a single tree trunk, and a giant open fireplace with a roaring log fire. An open kitchen features a counter slab of unhewn stone.



Interiors are tastefully designed with hand-picked Chinese antiques, screens, furnishings and lamps, and artfully merged with contemporary Italian and New York designer fittings.



The villa grounds incorporate a ‘Tea Reflection Room’ – a mirrored, cube shaped room for traditionally inspired tea ceremonies and meditation which overlooks a thousand square metre black stone reflecting pool designed to mirror the sky. This together with the Bath House Residence and the original GREEN T. HOUSE Living white pavilion are the three buildings which now comprise the completed GREEN T. HOUSE Living experience.



In the Bath House Residence,

a contemporary art space can accommodate performing musicians such as cellists or traditional bamboo flute players. It can also be used for group meetings. Even a library is incorporated, with a beautiful collection of books and a wonderful and eclectic range of music collected by world renowned musician Jin R over many years.



The loft bedrooms with black polished wooded floors have pillows filled with green tea, and guests sleep on contemporary versions of traditional hand-stuffed cotton bedding.



A gigantic egg-shaped bathtub is cut into the black stone of the floor, while a stairway leads to the open rooftop terrace and oversized Jacuzzi, a circulating mineral spring bath and waterfall. Both of them have space for anything up to a maximum of 20 intimate friends.



“In the winter guests can relax in a hot tub bath while it is snowing!” said JinR.



The zen-like experience restores a Tang Dynasty tradition dating back nearly a thousand years which has all but disappeared in China. It complements a unique blend of China’s ancient culture, cuisine and philosophy at the pavilion-style GREEN T. HOUSE Living. It also corresponds to the founder’s vision of “presenting an authentic Chinese experience, but in a way that you’ve never imagined.”