The Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou enjoys a privileged and exclusive location on a 9-hectare private island on Jinji Lake, just outside Suzhou, a city of water crisscrossed by a dense network of canals. Designed by Avalon Collective and AB Concept, both specialising in luxury hospitality projects (Avalon Collective’s portfolio includes the Hilton Singapore Orchard, the two Four Seasons properties in Landaa Giraavaru and the Voavah Private Island in the Maldives, and the Kempinski Hangzhou in China), the hotel opened in December 2023. For this latest project, the two firms developed solutions that combine elegance and privacy within a truly remarkable landscape. While offering more than 200 rooms, including suites and independent private villas, the resort provides guests with a sense of relaxation and seclusion, enhanced by lush gardens with a carefully curated selection of plants. Guests can also enjoy a lakeside jogging route, a fitness centre and indoor and outdoor swimming pools complete with a spa.
A defining feature of the hotel’s interior is the careful selection of materials, including Lea Ceramiche’s Waterfall porcelain stoneware collection chosen for the floors and walls of the indoor pool and for the guest room entrances. The Waterfall collection captures the beauty of sedimentary rock, recreating the harmonious blend of texture, colour, veining and subtle irregularities that reflect the passage of time. The deeper-toned and more elegant Dark Flow and the lighter, brighter Ivory Flow versions were selected for the Four Seasons pool area, reflecting the natural oxidation process of stone surfaces. This combination of materials and colours transforms the interiors into welcoming, refined spaces where natural elegance and contemporary design blend to create a timeless and authentic experience.
At the centre of the indoor area is a large swimming pool, framed by expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the garden. Elegant vertical panels emphasise the visual height of the space, while also functioning as sliding partitions that separate the pool from an adjacent relaxation zone furnished with lounge chairs in soft grey tones that echo the surface of the walls. This contrasts with the bold, darker-coloured tiles used for the larger surfaces. This carefully balanced design enhances the elegance and sophistication of the space while recreating a highly relaxing atmosphere that transitions smoothly from bright, naturally lit areas around the water to more intimate, softly illuminated zones. The overall result blends contemporary style with subtle oriental references, offering guests a relaxing, timeless retreat.
