The Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski, a new modernist hotel with private access to an unrestored section of the Great Wall, opened this week.

The Commune has existed since 2002 as a collection of contemporary villas designed by 12 Asian architects. It first opened as both a boutique hotel and semi-architectural museum and became a showcase of contemporary Chinese and Asian architecture. The owner, Zhang Xin, won a special award at the 2002 Biennale di Venezia for an individual patron of architectural works.

Kempinski Hotels took over the management of the hotel in 2005 and together with Xin have built an additional 21 villas containing 191 new rooms. The new villas are dotted among eight square kilomeers of private land and offer spectacular views of The Great Wall. Each one is a replica of one of four of the original designs: The Bamboo House, Cantilever House, Shared House and Forest House. The furniture is designed by a series of famous designers ranging from Philippe Starck and Matthew Hilton to Karim Rashid and Claudio Colucci.

The hotel is located in the Shuiguan Mountains, one hour's drive from Beijing.