Luxury hotels are redrawing Beijing's skyline as the city prepares to welcome the world to the 2008 Olympic Games. By the start of the opening ceremony Aug. 8, China's capital will have an estimated 130,000 hotel rooms. While top-tier chains like Raffles, the Peninsula and the St. Regis have been busy renovating their Beijing branches, plenty of other brands—including the Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and InterContinental—have moved in. Just in time for the Games, the elegant Park Hyatt Beijing (beijing.park.hyatt.com) and the minimalist, avant-garde Opposite House (theopposite house.com) are due to open in July.

Conveniently located next to the Forbidden City, the 55-room Emperor Hotel may feature a classical Chinese brick façade and roof, but the interior is decidedly contemporary, with sleek, fluid room furnishings ($773 for the suite; theemperor.com.cn).

The 14-room Hotel Côté Cour, housed in a former courtyard mansion, channels imperial China with stunning antiques, yet keeps an updated look by featuring a selection of contemporary Chinese art on its walls ($292 per night; www.hotel cotecoursl.com). Sadly, the 241-room Mandarin Oriental won't be finished in time for the Olympics. But when the angular marvel beside Rem Koolhass's CCTV tower opens later this year, it will no doubt make Olympics spectators want to come back (mandarin oriental.com/beijing).