Rissai Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Project data
Location

Jiuzhaigou
China 
Size

87-villas 
Services

Architecture

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Situated among a 72,000-hectare reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site valley, Rissai Valley, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, in Jiuzhaigou is the ultimate destination for immersion in nature, escapism in quietude and reconnecting with oneself.

The 87 luxury villas resort is in a valley along the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, with panoramic views of the stunning snowcapped Minshan mountain range, deep woodlands, and ancient villages.

The resort’s design incorporates elements of the local culture, integrating symbology and meaning into every aspect of the planning and design.

Design concept

Upon arrival, guests are welcomed by a grand entryway that marks the start of a transformative experience of leaving behind their routine busy lives and entering a tranquil space for renewal and discovery, and the main public area complex is organized as the “endless Tibetan knot” creating a continuous synergy between the various spaces.

Designed in collaboration with the late Jaya Ibrahim, the public areas are domestic in scale and dotted with vantage points that offer unmatched views over the landscape and provide an intimate feel of exclusivity. They are scaled and positioned to look like a cluster of buildings, a traditional local village built over time and to minimize the overall footprint and impact on the land.

The design of each villa celebrates the natural beauty and richness of the region, the design pays homage to local Tibetan heritage through traditional building details, locally sourced materials, and indigenous planting.

The architecture integrates climate appropriate elements. The walls are designed to function as thermal mass and store solar heat and reduce temperature fluctuation.

In addition, high-performance glazing systems with local details and green-covered roofed areas further support temperature regulation.

Since its inception in 2009, Ritz-Carlton Reserve has been renowned for its secluded hideaways around the globe. Rissai Valley now joins the highly curated portfolio. Each Ritz-Carlton Reserve property bears a unique name. The name of Rissai Valley resort comes from the Tibetan word for “village” and is a graceful link to the original meaning of Jiuzhaigou, or “nine villages” in Chinese. Today, Jiuzhaigou refers to “The Ravine of Nine Villages” – the ancient Tibetan and Qiang villages that lie along the valley.

The collaboration between WATG and Ritz-Carlton in China is well-established, and WATG has planned and designed over a dozen Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts globally.

The collaboration between WATG and Ritz-Carlton

From Laguna Niguel, the very first Ritz-Carlton resort in the world, to those located in internationally renowned tourist destinations such as Florida, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Bali, WATG has planned and designed over a dozen Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts, including the Beijing China Central Place, Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town, and the Xi’an High-tech Business District hotels – each located in its city’s central business district. WATG is also behind the design of The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, Yalong Bay, the brand’s first beachfront resort in China.