The hotel's grasslands package offers guests a chance to experience nomadic life on the great plains of Inner Mongolia. Cang Lide / China Daily

This is what truly amazes, that the hotel would go to such trouble and expense to preserve the standards of service.

We were to dine in a special yurt, a dining room exclusively for the use of Shangri-La guests, while right next door, yet another yurt houses a gleaming kitchen for the chef, who would prepare the evening meal.

The hotel also sends along riding helmets that are of international safety standards for guests who want to ride the Mongolian ponies. But for those who prefer their own feet on the ground, there are Mongolian costumes to try on for photo souvenirs.

The devil is always in the details, and it is not often that a hotel can surprise seasoned travelers with its close attention to the little things that make guests feel at home and at ease.

For urbanites who work hard, the grassland experience is a good way to get away from the smog and the relentless city crowds. Hohhot is a short hop away by plane from Beijing and a pleasant few hours' drive by car, ideal for that long weekend break or when you need a recharge of fresh air.

The grasslands experience comes in various packages to suit flexibility in terms of time and budget. But most will include airport transfer by hotel limousine, a night's stay in Shangri-La Hohhot's deluxe rooms, and the limousine ride to the grasslands that includes a packed lunch for the journey.

On the grasslands, guests stay at deluxe yurts reserved for Shangri-La guests, and apart from the specially catered meals, there are plenty of activity options, including pony rides, a Mongolian wrestling exhibition, a milk tea ceremony and an evening campfire with Mongolian songs and dances.

You can get the details on the hotel's website: shangri-la.com/en/huhhot/shangrila.