Hilton did not choose a glass tower to introduce Curio Collection to Jiangsu. On September 3, 2026, the group opened Xi Zhe Wuxi inside a restored 1933 residence, extended by a contemporary wing, in the heart of the Wuxi Center 66 complex. This is the collection’s first address in this eastern Chinese province, and one of the rare international brand hotels built around local residential heritage. For Wuxi, a city often overshadowed by Shanghai and Suzhou, the opening is a game-changer, bringing an address capable of attracting travellers who previously just passed through.
- 🏨 Property · Xi Zhe Wuxi, Curio Collection by Hilton, the collection’s first hotel in Jiangsu province
- 📍 Where · Wuxi, Liangxi District, within the Wuxi Center 66 complex, less than an hour from Shanghai by high-speed train
- 🗓️ Opening · September 3, 2026
- 🛏️ Capacity · 105 rooms and suites, spread between a 1933 residence and a contemporary wing
- 🍽️ Dining and wellness · SANWEI Bistro, Now and Then bar, Artist Center, four pools including a hydrotherapy pool
- 🏗️ Developer · Hang Lung Properties, operated by Hilton
Contents
What is opening in Wuxi on September 3, 2026
Xi Zhe Wuxi, Curio Collection by Hilton, features 105 rooms and suites spread between the historic house and the new building. The project is led by developer Hang Lung Properties, which is developing the Wuxi Center 66 complex, and operated by Hilton. The hotel occupies Liangxi District, the city’s historical and cultural centre: the former residences of writer Qian Zhongshu, diplomat Xue Fucheng and musician Hua Yanjun, known as Abing, are a few minutes’ walk away, as are Chong’an and Nanchan temples, the Qingming Bridge district, and Huishan ancient town.
The name sums up the concept. “Xi” refers to Wuxi, while “Zhe” combines two auspicious characters, a double blessing for guests. The name also speaks to the duality of the location: a pre-war residence and a contemporary construction, linked to form a single hotel.
Hotel fact sheet
A 1933 residence designed by a medical pioneer
The house forming the foundation of the project was built in 1933 by entrepreneur Zhang Xiaocheng and his sister Zhang Chuquan, one of Wuxi’s first women trained in Western obstetrics and gynaecology. Nearly a century later, the building has been completely restored rather than demolished, a choice still rare in Chinese cities of this size, where hotel developments favour new builds.
The family’s history permeates the spaces. The reception desk is inspired by apothecary furniture from old clinics, a nod to Dr. Zhang’s profession. In the lobby, a grand spiral staircase mirrors the one in the original residence; this type of winding staircase, known as “Zhuanpan Lou” or “Zouma Lou”, is a signature of Wuxi domestic architecture.
Design between Jiangnan and Art Deco
The rooms and suites are distributed between the two buildings. Some feature a private interior courtyard, while others overlook classical-inspired landscaped gardens. Terrazzo flooring and wooden trellis patterns recall the houses of Jiangnan, the canal region south of the Yangtze River, while Art Deco carpets evoke the Republican era of the 1930s.
The furnishings continue the narrative: bedside lamps inspired by palace lanterns, woven bamboo headboards, plum blossom-shaped stools (the city’s emblem), and antique grandfather clocks. The result feels more like a family home than a chain hotel, which is precisely the promise of Curio Collection.
Dining, tea and four pools in the city centre
SANWEI Bistro revisits Wuxi cuisine, known for its sweet flavours, using contemporary techniques. Dinners are accompanied by tea rituals served in purple clay teapots and traditional music. Housed in the former residence, Now and Then French Bistro & Bar blends mixology with original brick and wood walls. In a corner of the lobby, the Artist Center revives the city’s literary salon tradition with reading circles and arts programmes open to locals.
On the wellness front, the offering is unusual for an urban hotel: four indoor and outdoor pools, including a hydrotherapy pool and a children’s pool, a pool bar, singing bowl sessions and waterfront breathing workshops, a 24-hour gym, meeting spaces, and pet-friendly amenities.
The context: Curio Collection accelerates in China
Curio Collection by Hilton, launched in 2014, brings together independent hotels united by style yet backed by the Hilton Honors programme. In Asia-Pacific, the brand debuted in Sanya in 2017 before expanding to Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Qingdao and Luoyang. With Wuxi, Hilton now has five lifestyle brands active in China, within a market where demand is shifting towards stays rooted in local identity. Discover Hilton group news and hotel news in China on La Revue des Hôtels.
The opening is part of a broader trend: international groups are investing in China’s secondary cities, long neglected in favour of Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen. Hyatt Place opened its first hotel in Jiaxing in June, while Accor launched an MGallery in Chengdu in late August. Wuxi, on the shores of Lake Tai and connected to Shanghai in under an hour by train, ticks all the boxes of this new map.
Our perspective
Xi Zhe Wuxi stands out primarily for its approach: restoring a 1933 house and making it the beating heart of the hotel rather than a superficial backdrop. This is what distinguishes a successful Curio address from a chain hotel dressed up in local references. The four pools and the Artist Center also make it a destination for a getaway, not just a business stopover, something Wuxi was missing. It remains to be seen whether international clientele will follow in a city they know little about; the proximity of Shanghai and Suzhou clearly works in its favour. For travellers exploring Jiangnan, the hotel emerges as the city’s most compelling base.
Practical information
- Address · No. 65 Jiankang Road, Liangxi District, Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China
- Telephone · +86 510 8989 8888
- Official website · hilton.com
