Tripolers, a travel tourism agency headquartered in Beijing, is working with architects Holloway Li to build a series of boutique luxury hotels following the route of the ancient Silk Road in western China.

The first of these sites will be the 80-key Tripolers Oasis Spa Hotel, which is due to open in 2026 in a working vineyard on the edge of the Gobi Desert in Dunghuang province. The resort and spa are currently under construction after gaining planning permission in August 2023.

In addition to the spa, there will be 15 private villas on the periphery of the resort, positioned to enable uninterrupted views of the renowned Singing Sand Dunes as well as maximising privacy for guests. Further inside the grounds will be more accommodation in the form of two-storey suites, complete with roof terraces. There will also be an outdoor pool and social areas with fire pits.

The design draws on Wabi-sabi, a Japanese aesthetic which emphasises simplicity, imperfection, and the passage of time.

The hotel’s philosophy will be to celebrate nature in its purest form. The design has been inspired by the nearby UNESCO-listed Mogao Caves, famous for statues and wall paintings that span 1,000 years of Buddhist art. The courtyard will feature a Huyan tree and stone sculpted by the elements of the desert. The hotel will incorporate materials such as clay, stone and teak – some of it reclaimed – and is being built using local construction techniques.

Holloway Li, co-founder and managing director, Na Li, said “We were stunned by the incredible site acquired for Tripolers Oasis Hotel and the opportunity to create a truly world-class offering. We’re excited to work alongside our long-term local collaborators, GAD and [landscape architects] Z’scape, to bring this breathtaking scheme to life.”

Tripolers was founded in 2008 as an adventure travel agency specialising in expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic regions. It now also offers trips to the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon River Basin. In 2022, Tripolers Hotel Management Company was founded as a joint venture between Xingzhi Tansuo Culture Development and Vacation Kangaroo.