Shangri-La Hotel Hohhot sells the destination before it sells the hotel, says Victor Ng, the hotel's general manager. Photos provided to China Daily

Two hours from Beijing, there is a totally different culture at play, where ethnic characteristics color local customs and visitors are surprised at every turn. Pauline D. Loh reports from Hohhot and the Xar Moron Grassland.

The clouds are low, and a bracing breeze sends a shiver down the spine. Yet we brave the early morning cold and wander far from our yurt, enjoying the broad expanse of grasslands spreading in every direction.

Few humans are up and about at this hour, and there are only the few sturdy Mongolian ponies on the plain with us, munching steadily on tufts of grass and preparing for their workday.

There is little noise and no traffic gridlock. And the air is fresh. There's no smog.

This is Shangri-La.

And yes, it is Shangri-La Hotel Hohhot's special grasslands package we are enjoying, an experience that had started the day before in Hohhot, capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The 6-year-old luxury international hotel stands proud in the new business center of the city, and is setting benchmarks for hospitality - standards guarded tenaciously by its general manager, Victor Ng.

"I enjoy the local culture, and for Shangri-La, we believe we have to sell the destination first, before we can sell the hotel," Ng says.

He also believes the people who live here are natural hosts and add value to the expression "service with a smile".