Grace Hotels Group has acquired the Yi House Hotel in Beijing as the company expands into China.

The hotel will re-launch later this summer as The Grace Beijing.

The property lies in the heart of Beijing’s 798 Art District, a thriving cultural centre that is one of the city’s leading tourist attractions as well as a focal point for the world’s fashion and art community.

The hotel has 30 luxury rooms each with its own unique contemporary decor. The hotel restaurant has been re-named ‘Yi House’ to honour the hotel’s origins; it offers modern Mediterranean and Asian cuisine with a superb wine cellar.

Commenting on the creation of Grace Beijing, Philippe Requin, chief executive officer of Grace Hotels, said: “This district is the perfect environment in which to introduce the charm and understated elegance that epitomises the Grace service and design philosophy.

“As Yi House the hotel has attracted many from the arts community and has often hosted its own art exhibitions.

“The Grace Beijing will offer the perfect city escape for anyone on business or vacation looking for international standards of luxury and service in the context of a chic boutique hotel. In the coming weeks Grace Hotels will add its signature style and service touches before re-launching the Grace Beijing.”

This is the first hotel for the Grace Hotels Group in the region, but more are expected in Asia Pacific in the coming years. The acquisition follows the group’s major expansion into the Americas at the end of 2010 with the announcements of Grace Panama, Grace Cafayate in Argentina and the Vanderbilt Grace in Newport Rhode Island.

Grace Hotels is part of the family-owned global conglomerate, The Libra Group.