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OVER A DECADE of frenzied hotel construction has left Shanghai with an impressive portfolio of ultra modern hotels. Five-star palaces, designer boutique pads, corporate and budget chains – Shanghai has them all. And you can rest assured that any brands that are not yet represented will be arriving shortly in this booming metropolis.
Intense competition is pushing Shanghai hotels to continuously finesse their game. Consequently, contemporary luxuries like in-room Broadband, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, laptop-size safes and rainforest showerheads are pretty much standard amenities in Shanghai’s four and five-star hotels. Premium properties go to even greater extremes to distinguish themselves: Vertiginous lobbies, rooftop bars with Jacuzzis, bathtubs in living rooms, evening ‘unwind’ rituals, tai chi courtyards, feng shui architecture and decadent day spas are just a few examples.
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The budget sector is equally robust, with chains like Motel 168 proliferating throughout the city (and country), providing rooms for as little as Rmb168 without sacrificing a sense of service or style (think free Wi-Fi and flat screen TVs in some cases).
Pudong Airport Arrival and Departure
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| The Bund at night/ photo: Verghese |
Shanghai has two airports – Pudong International Airport in the east is the stepping off point for most international arrivals, while Hongqiao Airport in the west serves domestic departures and arrivals, plus some flights to Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan. Chinese carriers include national airline Air China; no-frills Shanghai based China Eastern; and budget carrier Spring Air. As long as you don’t expect much in the way of in-flight entertainment and alcoholic beverages, these airlines offer decent safety records and competitive pricing. Compare fares at www.CTrip.com.
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Pudong Airport is located 30 kilometres from downtown Shanghai and has two modern terminals. Most China Eastern, Air France, KLM, Hainan Airlines, JAL and Korean Air flights depart from Terminal 1, with the others leaving from Terminal 2. Three strategically placed pathways allow you to cross between the two terminals in just 15 minutes, with easy access to the Maglev high-speed train and Metro Line 2 in between, plus a bus station and fast moving taxi queues.
For arriving visitors, don’t be waylaid by the official-looking suited attendants at the arrivals gate asking if you need a taxi. Keep walking to the sign-posted exits where the official drivers are waiting. On a good day you can pass through Immigration and baggage and be on your way within 15 minutes of stepping off the plane.
If you’re peckish, there’s a Burger King and Champions Sports Bar, which serves 48 types of cocktails outside the arrival gate. Other fast food outlets (KFC, Pizza Hut and several Chinese chains) plus a convenience store are available in the mini food hall beside the Maglev station.
The Terminal 2 Departures area is much improved on the food front, with a tranquil Voyager café, a Burger King, Famous Famiglia, Tian Xia Dumplings and various other Chinese cafes. The selection is less exciting in the older Terminal 1, however the European-style Voyager espresso bar offers an island oasis of black marble and leather bar stools amidst the drab duty-free counters near Gate 16. Duty-free is anything but, and a Ferragamo tie will still set you back Rmb855 or more. Alcohol is more in line with Asian airport prices.
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| Dancers on Nanjing Rd/ photo: Verghese |
The high-profile Maglev (magnetic levitation) train makes an eight-minute, 431kmph dash between Pudong Airport and Longyang Road Station (out in the Pudong suburbs). Trains run daily between 6.45am and 9.40pm at 15 to 20-minute intervals. A one-way ticket costs Rmb50 or Rmb40 with a same-day airline ticket. The roundtrip is Rmb80. From the station it is a 12-minute subway ride to Pudong’s exhibition centre or 25 minutes to downtown.
A taxi from Pudong airport to Puxi (on the other side of the Huangpu river) costs Rmb200 for a 50-minute ride along a crisp, four-lane highway. The Metro Line 2 (green) conjoins both Shanghai’s international airports via a two-hour subway ride. A single fare to travel the full distance by metro line 2 costs Rmb8. The renminbi (“people’s money”) is a little stronger than the Hong Kong dollar (US$1 = Rmb6.53).
Hongqiao Airport is closer to the city centre and its new Terminal 2 is conveniently integrated into the vast Hongqiao Transport Hub. Covering 1.5 million square metres, this transport intersection connects the airport with the Shanghai metro system (about 30 minutes to People’s Square), plus high-speed trains to Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou and beyond, and long distance buses. Terminal 1 is accessible via metro line 10.
In the futuristic Terminal 2, opened in 2010, global food chains, KFC and Taiwanese noodle shop Yonghe King, do a roaring trade and offer comfortable booth seating at either end of the arrival hall. Upstairs, you can get a decent cup of coffee at Gloria Jean’s, and a good gelato at Iceseason. For something classier, wine and Greek mezze is offered at a branch of Fat Olive, Australian chef David Laris’s popular Shanghai lounge. Through customs on the airside, there is a Starbucks and Subway among a pack of Chinese and Muslim cafes.
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| Iconic JW
Marriott/ photo: Verghese |
The old Hongqiao Terminal 1 now services budget airlines Spring and Eva Air plus some flights to Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taipei. A McDonalds and decent Chinese noodle shop at the entrance are your best options for pre- or post-flight fuelling.
Getting around Shanghai
Shanghai is a vast metropolis straddling both sides of the Huangpu River. Puxi, the stately and lived-in Shanghai heartland, is literally “West of the Pu (river)”. “Xi” means west. This area is home to the former French Concession, lined with imported trees and historic residential laneways. The former British Concession bordered by the Puxi riverfront includes the colonial stretch of the Bund, one of Shanghai’s most iconic sights since the early 20th century.
Facing off against the Bund on the opposite riverbank, is the soaring, brash, show-off skyline of Pudong (“dong” means east) – its sky-scraping towers filled with heady “new China” ambition. The Oriental Pearl Tower with its fat, spherical bulbs and spindly legs, was one of the first to sprout in Pudong’s Lujiazui financial zone. Just behind it, the gleaming 88-storey Jinmao Tower (which houses the Grand Hyatt) and the newer Shanghai World Financial Centre, which tops it with 101-storeys and one of the world’s highest hotels (Park Hyatt Shanghai), soar gracefully side-by-side. A third even taller structure, The Shanghai Tower, will stand 632 metres high when it opens in 2014.
Taxis are plentiful in Shanghai – except when it is raining or rush hour. The Dazhong and Ba Shi companies tend to be most reliable, and three little red stars on the windshield indicate exemplary drivers (or at least those who won’t speak on their mobile phones, spit out the window or run red lights). Always have your destination (including the cross street) written in characters and ask hotel doormen to explain directions in Chinese. An average taxi ride within the city centre is Rmb12-Rmb20.
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| Le Royal Meridien Shanghai / photo: hotel |
As traffic gets increasingly gridlocked, the metro and light-rail systems are often a faster option. From just three lines a decade ago, Shanghai’s ‘ditie’ is now the world’s longest metro network with 420km of track and 11 lines in 2011, plus several more in progress, meaning that you’re never far from an underground station. Tickets cost Rmb3-Rmb5.
But on with our Shanghai hotel guide and some quirky options. Puxi first.
Shanghai Business Hotels, Central Puxi
Opened in 2003, the JW Marriott Shanghai at Tomorrow Square is the chain’s China flagship. Opposite People’s Square and the Shanghai Art Museum, the award-winning hotel is set in a space-age, crystal-shaped structure on top of a tall tower. The lobby is on the 38th floor and the hotel runs to the 60th floor, home to the world’s highest library-cum-exclusive boardroom. The wraparound views take in the entire city and all rooms feature massive picture windows. In-room Broadband is available for a fee and there’s free WiFi in public spaces. Other excellent on-site facilities include a luxurious Shanghai-styled Mandara Spa, a California Grill, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a funky 24-hour fitness centre. High tea in the lobby lounge or bubbly at the 40th-floor Champagne Bar are two of the city’s finest choices to kick back in style and drink in the vertiginous views. There is an executive apartment complex too.
On the opposite side of People’s Square, in a 66-floor tower marked by two throbbing antennae, Starwood’s Le Royal Meridien Shanghai is the brand’s Asia flagship. The glam contemporary behemoth resides right above People’s Square metro station. Its 770 rooms come with full floor-to-ceiling windows to enjoy the cityscapes, glass bathrooms, 42-inch plasma TVs that you can spin around 360 degrees and DVD/CD players. Meetings facilities cover anything from small board meetings to large conferences in two light-filled grand ballrooms, while its food and beverage options include a good French haute restaurant and popular three-storey bar 789 across the uppermost levels.
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| Langham Yangtze/ photo: Verghese |
In keeping with Le Royal Meridien’s new focus on the ‘creative individual’, its artist-designed room keys can also be used to ‘unlock’ a local contemporary cultural experience – in Shanghai this translates to free admission at the nearby MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Shanghai.
Nearby, the tall building that looks as if a spacecraft landed on top of it is the Radisson Hotel Shanghai New World mother ship. The interiors are exuberant and – in the spirit of the eastern end of this infamous strip – tacky and inexplicably popular. There is an enormous safe and free Broadband in the rooms and Wi-Fi in public areas. But the best thing about this hotel is its super central location.
People’s Square was also home to some of the Far East’s ritziest hotels in the roaring 1930s. While many of these historic icons are now faded ghosts of past glories (note the Park Hotel next to the Radisson New World), the 1934 Yangtze Hotel has been revived by heritage specialists Langham Hotels as a Shanghai boutique hotel with a residential feel brimming with vintage, musty, glamour. Step through the whitewashed art deco façade, and The Langham, Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai is an intimate den, reminiscent of a lush opera house replete with maroon velvet curtains, stained glass panels, soft pools of light, and tiny unobtrusive lifts. The hotel boasts 96 rooms – some with balconies – adorned in striking chocolate and crimson deco patterns and luscious textures.
Latest mod-cons include 42-inch TVs, DVD players, iPod docks, Nespresso machines, flat notebook safes, bazooka-size hairdryers, and whirlpool tubs. The overall mood is understated and dark. This is either cosy, or maddening, depending on your point of view, especially if trying to shave or apply makeup. WiFi will set you back about Rmb120 per day. This is a retro retreat and there is never any rush. Things are civilized and slow. Even the hot water arrives slowly to the shower. So do slow down and enjoy the place. There are four restaurants: Italian dining room Ciao, Palm Court tearoom, Japanese gastro pub Mado Izakaya, and a branch of renowned Cantonese restaurant T’ang Court, which won two Michelin-stars in Hong Kong. There’s also a Chuan Spa and attached spa residences. Friendly, if erratic, service, but great location.
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| Comfy Four Seasons/ photo: hotel |
The Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai maintains, as expected, a very corporate stamp. While it doesn’t quite compare with its sister properties in other parts of the world, it is still very popular with business travellers. Situated on a side street near Nanjing Lu, the property has a plush, airy lobby plastered with paintings, lampshades and something that has invaded Shanghai hotels in a big way – palm trees.
If you don’t wish to go the whole hog for the luxurious Executive Club Rooms, you can simply pay an additional Rmb500 plus 15 percent on top of any room category for access to the 37th-floor Executive Club Lounge, including an hour’s free use of a meeting room. Of course, the Four Seasons is no slouch on the room rates front. There is a convenient ATM that takes Visa in the lobby. This is a well-run and convenient Shanghai business hotel.
Directly opposite the Four Seasons, the Howard Johnson Business Club Hotel Shanghai opened at the end of 2008. Its 150 suites come with handy mini kitchens, free Internet and flatscreen TVs. There’s also a floodlit tennis court, indoor and outdoor meeting spaces, a health club and swimming pool, all just steps away from Nanjing Road.
Dominating the western end of Nanjing Lu, right next to Plaza 66 shopping mall with its designer brands and opposite the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, is The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai. The hotel is tucked away in the Shanghai Centre – an expat haven incorporating a foreign supermarket, consulates, restaurants, bars and cafes – and offers a boutique feel with its hideaway nooks and sumptuous lounges. The decade-old property has recently completed a multi-year overhaul of its rooms, restaurants and public spaces.
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| PuLi bedroom, Zen/ photo: Verghese |
The gymnasium and business centre run 24 hours, the executive lounge serves an extravagant spread of refreshments throughout the day, and slick service standards extend to an on-call “technology butler”. All in, this is among the top Shanghai business hotels. Their Palladio restaurant is one of the city’s finest Italian eateries.
Across Nanjing Road, the Singapore-run Shanghai JC Mandarin has pleasant guestrooms and a gem of a wine bar on the third floor. The Wellness Spa is one of Shanghai’s earliest day spas – try the golden body wrap and massage using gold powder.
 Within steps of Nanjing Road and the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, and overlooking the greenery of Jing’an Park, The PuLi Hotel & Spa raises the bar for independent hotels in Shanghai. A sleek contemporary design of dark wood, rattan and bolts of Jim Thompson silk is offset by rustic Chinese antiques, local grey brick and dramatic lighting installations. In a city where multi-hued lights bathe show-off architecture on steroids, there’s nothing loud about this construct. This will endear it to many. Amenities in the 209 guestrooms include multiple flat screen TVs, DVD player, MP3 docking point, free WiFi, Nespresso machine, free minibar and a GSM portable phone with dual SIM card slots and citywide coverage. Handy. The tone is dark, minimal, with clean lines and no clutter. The grey stone walls mimic the Shanghai shikumen lodgings and bathtubs by the window cry out for long soaks. Expect twin vanities, tall stand-up basins, and a HUGE square safe that will house all your prized possessions short of the Porsche. High-floor Club rooms ratchet up the service with butlers and boardrooms.
There is just one restaurant – but Dane Clouston’s Jing’An is one of the city’s best. The 32-metre Long Bar is one of the hotel’s most distinctive features and is an ideal spot in which to chill out. Look out over tranquil water features or, weather permitting, sit outdoors on a resort-style divan and enjoy an alfresco moment.
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| PuLi Long Bar/ photo: hotel |
Don’t miss a massage at Shanghai’s first Anantara Spa, which has been designed around the therapeutic benefits of Chinese tea. This is a Shanghai boutique hotel with a difference and a genuine sense of independent style. (The PuLi Hotel & Spa features in our exclusive by-invitation Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
Just down the road, near Jing’an Temple, is the Swissôtel Grand Shanghai. The 467 airy rooms are enhanced by windows that open to let in the breeze (a rare treat in high-rise Shanghai) and views of the park or bustling Jing’an district, whose street map features on the enormous cut glass relief by Chinese artist Yang Jiu Sheng in the lobby. While many of the design elements are modern Asian in style (lots of gold and marble), there’s a tasty Swiss influence in The Chocolate Shop and European spa.
For those who like their accommodation with attitude, Shanghai boutique hotel JIA Shanghai is housed in a Twenties-era neoclassical building wedged between bustling Nanjing West Road and Wujiang Rd food street. Behind dark glass doors, JIA sets a standard in terms of refined designer lodging. The 55 quietly theatrical guestrooms range from 35-160sq m and feature dark timber floors, Bisazza mosaic bathrooms and signature pieces by the likes of Knoll, Minotti and Hans Wegner. A techno kit supplies free Broadband and VGA cables so you can link your computer to the TV. There’s also 42-inch flat screen TVs, DVDs, Nintendo games, MP3 link-ups to a surround sound speaker system and if all that sounds too techno, a stash of old-fashioned board games. Kitchenettes come stocked with refrigerator, electric stove, microwave and dining ware, while trendy Italian restaurant Issimo serves some of Shanghai’s best pizza and pasta. Guests also have access to a small business centre, gym and JIA’s trademark residential lounge, where the trendy clientele mingles over breakfast, afternoon cake and evening wines.
Shanghai boutique hotels continue to sprout and one that’s too cool for spelling is Urbn. Claiming to be China's first carbon neutral hotel or, perhaps, “crbn ntrl”, the 26-room hotel near Jing’an Temple uses eco-friendly solutions like passive solar shades and rainwater retention basins.
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| JIA exterior/ photo: hotel |
It tracks the energy it consumes and purchases United Nations-approved credits to neutralise its carbon footprint by investing in green energy development and emission reduction projects in China. Hotel guests can also choose to purchase carbon credits from the program to offset their flights. The contemporary Asian-styled hotel wins points for design and amenities too – free WiFi, iPod ports, in-room spa treatments and Mandarin lessons are some of the little luxuries offered. Breezy café Downstairs by David Laris spills into the high-walled courtyard by the entrance.
Right on the pedestrian stretch of Nanjing Lu, the 401-room Sofitel Hyland Shanghai is less showy than the competition but location (equidistant between People’s Square and the Bund), facilities and friendly service are a huge plus.
For business travellers, it offers 180 smart chocolate-toned Sofitel Club rooms, along with a gym, sauna, health club and complimentary usage of high-speed Internet. The hotel has been through major renovations and the Club Lounge on the 30th floor with sweeping views is a welcome addition.
Shanghai hotels around the “French Concession” and Xintiandi
Situated in the heart of the city’s bustling entertainment district, The Langham Xintiandi is only a stone’s throw from an atmospheric collection of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars in renovated traditional ‘shikumen’ residences. The iconic 24-storey hotel features 357 rooms and suites, starting at 40sq m. Expect elegant decor with dark wood furnishings, natural, warm shades and fabulous views of Xintiandi’s heritage rooftops. In-room amenities include a 40-inch flatscreen TV, iPod docking station, Broadband Internet, twin basins and a generous bath. Refinements include a 25m heated indoor pool, a refitted lobby with new furniture and an imposing chandelier, the signature Chuan Spa (mid October 2011) and the Langham Club (mid November 2011).
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| Langham Xintiandi Grand Room/ photo: hotel |
Welcoming guests right outside the lobby will be stores from Harry Winston and Chopard. The hotel’s location close to designer stores on Huai Hai Road and nearby museums will please leisure travellers and shoppers in a hurry while business facilities include eight meeting rooms and a 2,000sq m ballroom. Other trademark facilities include the Ming Court Chinese restaurant, a martini bar, a 24-hour health club, and Latin-themed open-air chill-out lounge. (The Langham Xintiandi is showcased in our exclusive by-invitation Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
Hyatt snagged the striking twin tower across from the Langham for its flagship Asian Andaz Shanghai (late 2011), an informal lifestyle brand where guests should feel like they are in their “best friend’s home”. Wilson Lee the livewire general manager describes it as a “story-telling” brand where people swap experiences and are assisted by “hosts” not cookie-cutter GROs (guest relations officers). The 24-storey hotel offers 307 contemporary rooms and suites ranging from a standard 41sq m to a more-than-briefcase-swinging 80sqm to 409sq m. Ceiling mounted LED lights enable guests to switch colours to match their mood, or romantic intention, all while perusing fine views over Xintiandi, the city’s nightlife heart. Non-alcoholic drinks, snacks, local calls and WiFi are free so get binging and call everyone you know. Also expect iPod docks, in-room safes, large work desks and whistling hairdryers. There are 11 meeting venues and the Spa@Andaz occupies 2,200sq m. That’s a lot of rubdown room.
For the executive elite, the boutique 88 Xintiandi offers style and technological savvy in its 53 exquisite “residences” in the popular Xintiandi precinct. The design is spare and mod, with touches of traditional Asian whimsy. All rooms feature lake or plaza views, complimentary Broadband and kitchens equipped with a microwave, fridge and dining ware. A revamp has seen the addition of a private gym, spa and indoor swimming pool. Guests have access to the private clubhouse across the street. There are also countless bars, restaurants and shopping outlets right at your doorstep in this jazzy historic quarter.
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| Andaz Shanghai/ photo: hotel |
Not far from Xintiandi, the Taiwanese owners of Shanghai restaurant and ceramic tableware brand Lapis Lazuli have created a unique 18-room boutique residence. Though small, the rooms at Casa Serena Boutique Hotel (formerly Lapis Casa) boast a touch of 1920s Shanghai decadence in the club chairs, deco adornments and jade sinks. Numbers 81-84 offer views over Huaihai Park and Internet is free.
Also consider the upscale Pudi Boutique Hotel at Fuxing Park Shanghai near Xintiandi offering 52 generously sized rooms adorned with original works by contemporary Chinese artists. Nice touches here include in-room check-in, a pillow menu featuring green tea and buckwheat varieties, and a rooftop bar and Jacuzzi. Pudi is also Shanghai’s only pet-friendly hotel. Mark it down for that dog day afternoon.
A Shanghai boutique hotel with strong historical overtones is the China Mansion Hotel on Xinle Road in the heart of the old French Concession. Originally built in 1932 for Shanghai mob boss Du Yue Sheng, the mansion has since hosted various, less notorious luminaries. The place will please heritage hotel buffs with its classical lines and décor. Walk in to a period fantasy filled with ancient clocks, gramophones, silken sofas and turn-of-the-century armchairs.
The 32 rooms each feature 15ft ceilings and unique layouts. Expect king-size beds, plush armchairs, ottomans and gas fireplaces, along with all the usual mod-cons associated with the frenetic 21st Century – Bose iPod docks, 42-inch flat-screen satellite TVs, printer/scanner/fax, CD/radio, free high-speed WiFi, Jacuzzis and even Japanese-style bidets that spray, squirt and blow-dry.
The sprawling 150sq m China Mansion Suites come with private stone terraces overlooking the onion domes of the Russian Orthodox Church and bathtubs the size of small swimming pools. And for small corporate meetings and private events there are seven function rooms to choose from. The China Mansion Hotel is an inspired Shanghai boutique hotel where you can be utterly wired or gloriously disconnected. Just pick your century.
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| Pei Mansion Hotel/ photo: hotel |
The Pei Mansion Hotel, sister property of China Mansion opened early 2010 at 170 Nanyang Road. This is an intimate restored setting in a small, classical three-storey building dating back to 1934 with an ornamental garden. There are just 25 rooms in semi-classical mould with Shanghai contemporary chic flourishes, patterned tile floors, deep-seating leather chairs and assorted memorabilia. This place was the family home of renowned architect I M Pei (who designed the controversial Bank of China building in Hong Kong).
The Hilton Shanghai is one of the city’s pioneering international five-star business hotels and has a loyal following and welcoming feel. The freshly revamped and expanded executive floors include a new Club Room on the 38th level and striking red and black ‘Top of the Hilton’ meetings venue across the 40th floor, which carries the international Hilton Meetings “100 percent guarantee” of a successful event. In keeping with the hotel’s healthy approach, it has eliminated trans fats from restaurant menus, offers organic breads in its excellent German bakery and pumps “ozone-enriched” air through its gym and spa.
Among Shanghai conference hotels, the Hilton is perhaps one for the diary. Right next door is a large pink slab called the Hotel Equatorial, with a lobby plaque announcing, “The best hotel for exterior design”. You be the judge. Its rates are a lot more affordable than its neighbour’s.
Not too far from here, the neoclassical Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai stands in a green garden compound just off Huaihai Road. This property was a private French Club in the 1930s before becoming Chairman Mao’s revolutionary headquarters. It’s now an elegant Japanese-run hotel with spacious, renovated rooms and a popular Japanese restaurant, Yamazoto. Check out the ballroom with its original sprung wooden floor and stained glass windows. The highlight of the bathrooms is a Japanese-style potty with all the trimmings – press-button bidet, spray, and all manner of devices to keep your bottom shipshape. This is very much a classical Shanghai business hotel.
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| The spacious Okura/ photo: hotel |
The neighbouring Jin Jiang Hotel (not the nearby ‘New Jin Jiang’ tower) is a beauty with its historic dark-brick structure and white-frame bay windows. The hotel is spread across five classical buildings in manicured grounds. Unfortunately, past room renovations have been less than sympathetic and only some of the original detailing has been preserved in the lobby of the main Cathay Building. A better option is the art deco Cathay Garden across the courtyard, which was rebuilt in 2005 and has 208 slick executive rooms with spacious bathrooms for only a fraction more than those in the original block. Ask for a garden view.
Singapore-based travel agency CTC Tourism Holdings has acquired a 1930s art deco gem on Hengshan Road and created a cosy, 39-room Shanghai guesthouse, @Gallery Suites. The boutique hotel features stylish period décor, free-standing bathtubs and high-tech amenities. We love the flamboyant art deco suites, Wii-enabled gym and next-door Annexe building with an art gallery and teahouse.
Parked in a historic neighbourhood of the French Concession, amidst villas, and tucked behind well-guarded gates, Hotel Massenet is arguably Shanghai’s most exclusive (and expensive) boutique lodging. Part of the Sinan Mansions dining and shopping precinct, the hotel comprises 15 free-standing mansions that are rented en-bloc for a cool Rmb38,000 a night.
Each of the three-storey houses comes with a 24-hour butler and chef, and features four en suite bedrooms, living and dining rooms, a study and kitchen, private garage and a large walled garden. Guests can choose from classic, contemporary or chic design styles. The hotel also has a Chinese and French restaurant and a clubhouse with indoor pool and gym. Mark this down on your list of the best Shanghai boutique hotels.
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| Portman Ritz-Carlton Club/ photo: hotel |
For Disneyland-meets-Gothic-horror-gabled-mansion, look no further than the Hengshan Moller Villa Hotel . The story has it that an expatriate businessman built it exactly as his daughter saw it in a dream. The ensuing construction is alternatively pleasing, astonishing and spooky. A major makeover in 2008 moved the 28 guestrooms into Building 2 at the back of the property, adding flat screen TVs and other updated amenities while retaining its fairytale aura.
The original castle-like building now contains pricy restaurants and overblown function rooms leading out to a pretty garden. The hotel is popular with government officials who often book it out for months at a time. This is definitely an offbeat Shanghai hotel choice.
Across the road, the high-rise City Hotel is a convenient four-star option. The 20-year-old hotel is basic but well maintained and offers great views over the historic lanes from the south-facing rooms. There’s a spa and indoor pool and the lobby bar has tall windows looking out to Shaanxi shopping street and Moller Villa.
The Regal International East Asia Hotel is an athlete’s dream. It features eight outdoor tennis courts and two indoor courts. There’s also billiards, a gym, vast fitness facilities, a 12-lane bowling centre, simulated golf driving range and squash. If you’d rather work on your beer belly than your six-pack, there’s the infamous Hengshan Lu bar strip not far from here.
And in case you have any time left for business, there’s the Regal Club Lounge and Business Centre on its fourth and fifth floors. A handful of Regal Club Rooms have been styled just for ladies. These feature a "feminine touch" in the decor and special amenities including satin hangers, humidifier, hair-curler and manicure set.
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| Renaissance Putuo/ photo: hotel |
The Radisson Plaza Xing Guo is set in 15 acres of garden in the former French Concession. It’s a smart choice, with ample business facilities, a pool, squash court and bowling alley.
The rapidly developing Putuo area has seen an influx of new hotels. The 32-storey, 501-room Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park (opened February 2010) is sited in this district. And with the Changfeng Park and Suzhou River at its doorstep, there certainly is no short of scenic views.
Business and pleasure go hand in hand as the hotel is home to seven bars and restaurants, in addition to more-than-adequate meeting facilities. Besides the usual amenities (42-inch flat screen TV, tea and coffee, work table, Internet access, iron, safe, mini bar), rooms also come with iPod docking stations. Interesting places to explore nearby include the MGM Studio World.
Opened in May 2010, the Renaissance Shanghai Putuo Hotel leans towards a boutique feel with its clean, contemporary interiors. Located along Tongchuan Road, the 20-floor, 330-room hotel is very much in the business buzz with good shopping next door along with a few museums. Dine international, Chinese or Japanese. With versatile function space including eight meeting rooms and 5,619sq ft of conference space in the ballroom (for up to 520 persons), setting up meetings is a snap.
Along Yan’an West Road, the 342-room Rendezvous Merry Hotel Shanghai has refurbished its guest rooms and women travelling alone may appreciate the ladies floor. If you’re sensitive to noise, avoid rooms near the lifts, which make an exuberant “pinging” noise all day and night. Get to breakfast early to avoid the queues but don’t get your hopes up, the buffet is distinctly average. Rooms are small but compact, clean and comfortable with neutral decor. Facilities include a writing desk with fax machine, flatscreen TV, small bath and separate rain shower, coffee facilities, iron and ironing board and laptop-size safe. Its proximity to subway stations, Jing’an Temple and Nanjing West Road is a bonus.
Hotels Near the Bund
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| Stately Waldorf's historic exterior |
On to some Shanghai business hotels near the Bund not far from People’s Square. The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund soft-opened late 2010 with the 20-suite Waldorf Astoria Club in a riverfront heritage building that formerly served as the exclusive gentlemen’s Shanghai Club in the 1920s. Strut like a lord or lady around this stately English Renaissance-style building admiring the palladium columns, detailed gables, cosy deep-seating snuggeries for post-prandial discourse, and sculpted rooftop cupolas. Club Suites are an essay in elegant space resembling a home rather than a hotel room, with living, study, dressing and bathing areas. Suites are grandiose with white plaster walls, timber floor panelling, dramatic chandeliers, tasselled silk and velvet cushions and dark mahogany period furnishings.
The centrepiece is a large invitingly plump four-poster bed with two pipe lights for reading. Three televisions stream news and music wherever you wish (with a small LCD facing the bath as well) while a handy wireless keyboard enables Internet access on the TV. The roomy toilet is in bright white marble with a free-standing bathtub. The adjoining dressing room lights up automatically as you walk in. The toilet is classic with a wooden seat cover (unlike the sleek modern Japanese-friendly ensemble in the tower wing that rears up in welcome and whirs to life as you enter the cubicle with enough buttons and bidet functions to keep your botty beautifully groomed). You’ll also find Hermes toiletries, a Nespresso machine, a flat laptop-size safe, a classic clock, and a hairdryer that plugs into a somewhat fiddly hidden socket behind the handsome dressing table mirror. Step into the rain shower for a soft sprinkle or use the more forceful hand-shower but expect hot water to arrive at a civilised pace. What’s the rush? The Club wing offers supreme in-room indulgence and animated butlers, which more than compensate for the lack of views.
The newly built Waldorf Astoria Tower houses another 252 rooms and suites and is connected to the Club via a grand corridor of restaurants and lounges. The guestrooms here are more contemporary with cool muted shades, powder blue accents and sleek lines. Expect a flat-screen TV, Nespresso machine, classic clock, and a hairdryer with an easy socket at one side of the bath mirror. A quaint porthole mirror linking the bath with bedroom fogs up at the flick of a switch.
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| Stately Waldorf/ photo: hotel |
At least half of the rooms offer unobstructed, panoramic views of the Shanghai skyline along the Huangpu River. Don’t miss a classic cocktail at the legendary Long Bar, whose impressive 34m marble bartop and oyster ice-counter have been restored from its Shanghai Club days, or enjoy afternoon tea served with red velvet cupcakes at Salon de Ville.
Also discover four restaurants (Pelham’s, Grand Brasserie, the excellent and atmospheric Wei Jing Ge Chinese Restaurant, and Peacock Alley), six meeting rooms, a business lounge, spa and fitness centre. Among the newer kids on the block, although this elegant, vintage establishment could hardly be called that, this is a Shanghai luxury hotel that stands out, all the more so for its refined quiet. The silence is eloquent. (The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is showcased in our exclusive by-invitation Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
A historic eight-decade Bund veteran has returned as the Fairmont Peace Hotel following a dramatic remodelling and facelift. Polished splendour has replaced the musty corridors of the old Peace Hotel with a rollout of 270 deluxe rooms and suites, plus six restaurants and lounges, including the popular bolthole Jazz Bar (still home to a geriatric but splendidly entertaining band) and The Cathay Room, offering grand views of the Bund from the terrace.
Though history buffs may be disappointed by the extent of remodelling, the rooms feel fresh and welcoming, combining 1930s period flourishes and richly textured fabrics with flashes of edgier contemporary design. Deluxe rooms start at 45sq m and feature an inviting marble bath, 37-inch plasma stereo TV, Blu-ray DVD, Illy espresso machine, MP3 docking station, plump goose-down pillows and 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets.
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| Fairmont Peace Hotel/ photo: Verghese |
Throw in a bit more cash and upgrade to the swanky 89sq m Grand Suite, which gives you those all-important views of the Huangpu River plus your own private dining area for up to eight hungry guests. A new extension houses the swimming pool and Willow Stream Spa that offers beauty treatments with a glamour twist.
An excellent choice close to the Bund is the tiara-topped Westin Bund Centre Shanghai. The twin-towered hotel is futuristic, fun and functional; with the newer 269-room Grand Tower providing crisp executive comforts including concealed fax, DVD player, window-side bathtubs and evening “unwind rituals”.
There is an iron and ironing board. The atrium lobby is crammed with Hirsch Bedner designer palm trees surrounding a red blown-glass centrepiece. Underlit glass staircases climb up a few floors to large, versatile function areas. There’s a 24-hour business centre, two-storey WestinWORKOUT gym and a sumptuous Banyan Tree Spa for after-hours de-stressing. Prego Italian restaurant does great pizzas and convivial evening Aperitvo hours, and The Stage restaurant hosts one of the most popular Sunday brunch buffets in town.
Making a triumphant return to the city where it all began, The Peninsula Shanghai opened in October, 2009 in the first new mansion to be built along Shanghai’s historic Bund in over 60 years. The luxury, art deco-inspired interiors, river views and winning service make this a first-rate Shanghai accommodation choice. Dining highlights include Cantonese restaurant Yi Long Court headed by Michelin-starred Chef Tang Chi Keung, and rooftop Sir Elly’s bar and restaurant. Classic Peninsula high teas accompanied by a string quartet are available in the celadon-hued high ceiling lobby lounge.
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| Westin Bund/ photo: hotel |
Savvy services for business travellers staying in the 235 rooms (starting from 56sq m) include a Nespresso machine, iPod dock, 1,000-channel Internet radio, card readers enabling digital photos and presentations to be viewed on the large TV screen, nail dryers and a six-hour guaranteed laundry service. Heat-sensing panels light up as you pass your hand over the controls and the weather readout is a nifty addition. Ornate plaster walls adorn the bathroom. Several rooms offer Bund views while the bright and airy garden-view accommodations look on to the verdant grounds of the former British Consulate (now a government guesthouse managed by Peninsula). The safe is vertical, large and can easily manage a laptop plus jewellery. Colours are muted and pastel with a preponderance of white. The bronze art deco lift doors open to whisk you down to the indoor pool with skylight. Among the 25 luxury brands featured in the downstairs shopping arcade, is Chanel’s China flagship. Also find Armani, Prada and Valentino.
The Renaissance Shanghai Yu Garden Hotel is located beside the city’s famed Yu Gardens and Disney-style tourist bazaar, with spellbinding views over the winged rooftops. The brand’s trendy flagship is specifically designed to appeal to 25 to 40-year-old travellers. The 341-room hotel designed by Czech glass artist Borek Sipek is decked out in bold carpets and quirky blown glass, and rooms feature glass bathrooms and tubs in the living area in some cases. Its two-storey Quan Spa is shaded in vibrant hues of aqua, mauve and lime, with petrified palm trees, Vichy showers and spectacular views through large picture windows. There’s also a rooftop indoor pool with a terrifying glass infinity wall.
Also in the Bund area is the 23-storey Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel. The comfortably appointed hotel is close to shopping and the metro and offers high-speed Internet access in its rooms, along with standard amenities. The 353-room Grand Central Hotel Shanghai is another option overlooking the Bund with plenty of MICE facilities and palatial gold fittings.
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| Peninsula Shanghai suite/ photo: hotel |
Hyatt on the Bund is not quite – it’s actually around the bend of the Huangpu River in the upcoming North Bund area, near the new cruise ship terminal. The 631 rooms across two towers (the entire east wing is an Executive Tower) have each been angled to take full advantage of the stunning views straight down the Huangpu River, taking in both the east and west banks. Rooms feature iPod docks, open bathrooms and safes that allow you to store and charge a laptop. A Yuan Spa occupies 3,000sq m across the entire lower level. Dining options are typically strong, especially the part-alfresco Chinese restaurant specialising in Peking duck from its own custom-built clay oven.
For more unusual surroundings try the imaginative Vue restaurant and bar (the creation of hot Japanese designers SuperPotato) with its bachelor-pad theme. You can choose to eat in “his” library, kitchen or living room surrounded by collections of model cars, smoking pipes and vintage corkscrews. The Sunday brunch is popular. For really smoking views of Shanghai head to Vue Bar on the 32nd and 33rd floors. The best time to visit is sunset when The Bund begins to light up. Grab yourself a delicious lychee martini and make your way upstairs to the open-air rooftop bar.
Positioning itself very much in the boutique hotel category, Les Suites Orient Bund is a smart Shanghai business hotel with a stellar Bund location. Similar in style and philosophy to its trendy sister property in Taipei, it has the hushed air of exclusivity – partly as a result of its residents-only policy. Blending art deco design with Oriental allure, the 23-storey hotel features 168 rooms, including 43 suites, many of which gaze out over the Bund. Soft classical music drifts through the air, pastel tones sweep across wide-open spaces and simple white vases punctuate minimal decor.
The rooms are contemporary and unfussy. Business travellers will also appreciate the hotel’s 24-hour amenities, which include a business centre, fitness centre, free WiFi throughout the hotel and a mobile concierge service called Les Suites Mobile Life, available in all rooms. Guests are also entitled to complimentary two-hour use of the hotel's three meeting rooms. End a hard day in the jazzy Cigar Bar or feast on free coffee and cookies in bright and comfy Le Lounge. This is another one to mark down in your Shanghai boutique hotels selection.
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| Hyatt on the Bund/ photo: hotel |
At the southern end of the Bund, beside the renovated Shiliupu dockyards, is the first Asia Pacific property of InterContinental’s boutique brand, Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund. Rising 30 storeys on the banks of the Huangpu River – so close to the water that it feels like you’re floating – the 184-room hotel stands out for its sweeping city views and smart localised touches. We love the Shanghai White Rabbit candies to chew on, goji infused bath products by lush local brand Bayankala, and breakfast items delivered in traditional wooden baskets. Walk in to the lobby, an Alice in Wonderland escape of yellow bicycles, red rickshaws, art, rusting ship metal walls, and an intricate wooden “wave”, all mimicking the hotel’s dockland roots. The mood is playful and mischievous, unrestrainedly so. And it is this that will engage the upwardly mobile set and offset somewhat the hotel’s modestly awkward location well beyond the main Bund area.
Indigo’s funky Shanghai-chic design extends from the local artists’ installations in the colourful lobby to the spacious rooms with hardwood floors, hanging lanterns and black and white murals of Yuyuan behind the bed. Relax at Quay with pod lounges, massage chairs and Mac screens; take a dip in the infinity pool above the river; or dine and party at CHAR Grill and Bar on the 29th and 30th floors, featuring a breathtaking roof terrace, a large spotted ceramic cow and porcelain figures with telescopes eyeing the views. There are also four meeting rooms, for between 10 and 70 people with river-facing windows and beanbags for more relaxed sessions. The sixth-floor Library offers iMacs for hard-pressed pin-stripers on the go. This is a fun Shanghai hotel, distinctive, cool, and far from the cookie-cutter W template.
Still farther south, in a 1930s dockyard factory beside the Huangpu River, is the 19-room Waterhouse at South Bund. The designer pad by Singaporean hotelier Loh Lik Peng (of The New Majestic and Wanderlust in Singapore) has been snapping up global hotel awards on account of its industrial-glam interiors and excellent mod-Mediterranean resto, Table No. 1, by Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton.
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| Hotel Indigo tones/ photo: Verghese |
Each of the bright white-and-wood rooms has a slightly different layout and latest hi-tech amenities, including free Wi-Fi and mini-bar. Some rooms also come with walled terraces and river views. There aren’t many extra facilities on offer (unless you happen to require an 800-person neighbouring event space). It is a short taxi ride to the action of the Bund or Yu Gardens, but if you appreciate designer fancy and fine dining, you’ll be happy to wash up at The Waterhouse.
Other hotel choices in the Puxi area
Opened late September 2009 in the emerging Zhabei District is the InterContinental Shanghai Puxi, a modern business-traveller-dream construct featuring soaring ceilings, darkly elegant interiors with pools of light, whimsical bronze statues and a funky bar. An elaborate “ribbon” of light swirls airily through the lobby area greeting visitors. This is a modern steel-and-glass high-rise in a hitherto neglected area of the city now slated for major development. The hotel has 533 rooms with a mix of executive suites and a Club InterContinental Lounge.
Rooms start at a spacious 45sq m (among the biggest in Shanghai), with 47-inch flat screen TV, DVD player, iPod port, espresso machine, and a small flat laptop-size safe. The room is in light beige tones matched with grey floors and an attractive white-plaster floral wall behind the headrest. The brown wallpaper is made from reprocessed grass.
Broad louvred wooden slats conceal or open up views through a glass wall into the bathroom featuring L’Occitane toiletries, a weighing scale, and a separate shower and bathtub. There’s a 15-inch LCD TV in the basin mirror too. A sensible Roman-numeral clock sits by the bed and Broadband is available at roughly Rmb100 per day. There are several full-length mirrors for a pre-conference preen as well as an iron and ironing board. The Club InterContinental Tower is in an adjoining building with separate check-in and almost 3,000sq m of meeting space. Close to the main railway station, it’s a bit removed from the action, but for Shanghai conference hotels, this is an address worth noting.
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| Renaissance Yu Garden/ photo: hotel |
Just outside the city centre, Club Rooms at the Crowne Plaza Shanghai are bold and spacious with a flatscreen TV and a solid safe that, alas, is not laptop size. The club lounge is split-level with meeting rooms along with a business centre. Club Room guests are entitled to complimentary garment pressing and free beer and soft drinks from the mini-bar. Drink up.
The Longemont Shanghai – formerly known as the Regent – occupies a rather lackluster location, squeezed up against the Yan’an elevated highway. Although hardly tourist central, it’s right next door to the growing business district of Zhongshan Park and just a short drive to both Nanjing Road or Hongqiao. The 53-storey building boasts a cutting-edge design with an easily recognisable electric blue stripe running down the outside, an airy lobby, funky white pod chairs and sleek cherry woods. All rooms feature 42-inch plasma TVs and many of the bathrooms have retractable glass walls or floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the city lights. There is free WiFi in public spaces (except the business lounge) and complimentary Broadband in all rooms. There’s also a spa and 30-metre infinity pool.
Further west of the city, the Shanghai Marriott Hotel Hongqiao is part of a large business centre block and close to the Shanghai Mart. This is an exhibitions area. It is easily accessible from Hongqiao Airport high-speed railway station and a ring road (and upcoming rail link) provides reasonably quick access to Pudong. Executive rooms offer a steam iron and a notebook-size safe. Being a long-time expat enclave, the area is also well serviced with global restaurants, cafes and supermarkets.
The Millennium Hotel Hongqiao Shanghai opened in 2007. Its 369 exuberantly styled rooms are comfortably spacious and feature floor-to-ceiling windows, flat screen TVs and peek-a-boo bathrooms. There is a selection of Chinese and Western restaurants on site and free shuttle buses into town.
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| Ritz-Carlton Pudong/ photo: hotel |
Moving back towards downtown you’ll find the semi-circular Sheraton Shanghai Hongqiao Hotel. The interior is extravagantly old world. Grand marble pillars, burgundy carpets, chandeliers and Chinese artefacts adorn the lobby, while the 587 guestrooms continue the classical look with lush woven carpets and period furniture, but rather compact bathrooms. Right around the corner is the Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel. Club Rooms decked out in pinewood and burgundy are bright but a tad small.
Nearby, in the satellite business district of Zhongshan Park, the Renaissance Shanghai Zhongshan Park Hotel opened in 2008 and is the world’s tallest Renaissance. It stretches from the 25th to 60th floors of the Cloud Nine Shopping Centre with Zhongshan Park subway station in the basement that allows easy connectivity to Pudong and downtown. Targeting the upwardly mobile “pleasurable business” traveller, the 684 rooms are decorated in striking crimson tones with fun lounge and dining concepts offering healthy lunches, casual meeting spaces and chill-out after-work drinks. The building also contains a shopping mall, cinemas, spas and office tower.
The Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning is in the city’s northern Zhabei district, near the main railway station and around 20 minutes by cab from the CBD. The hotel makes up part of a young integrated complex called the Daning Life Hub and boasts plentiful business facilities. Among these are vast swathes of meeting space, seven function rooms, a business centre and a Grand Ballroom. The 326 contemporary guestrooms come with flat-screen TVs and jet showers. The hotel is close to the university district and Circus World, home to the excellent Era acrobatic show. This is a useful Shanghai conference hotels choice.
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| View from Ritz Pudong/ photo: Verghese |
The four-star Regal Shanghai East Asia Hotel is actually “within” the Shanghai Stadium. No kidding. This may be too much for some but the Sports Bar does in fact overlook the stadium, which is a novel way to end the day.
Shanghai Pudong hotel choices
Crossing over to Pudong, on the eastern side of the river in the general vicinity of the Lujiazi Finance and Trade Zone and Shanghai New International Expo Centre are a clutch of excellent business addresses. The stately 285-room Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong (opened in 2010) is a modern construct atop the IFC tower housing a pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, a spacious spa, and over 1,700sq m of conference and meetings space. Rooms (go for a Bund view if available) serve up iPod docking stations, 42-inch flat-screen TVs, Blu-ray DVD players, Bose sound and spoiling toiletries. Later, soak in that high-back Viking boat of a tub. The in-room safe can house a laptop. The rooms are surprisingly bright and airy with nary a sign of dark corporate tones. Expect floral oranges, muted pastel greens, and a fair bit of ornamentation with 50sq m of stretch space. It’s more than ample elbowroom. Smart energy-saving motion detectors and heat sensors will switch off the power if you exit – or happen to have a serene out-of-body experience.
Reception on the 52nd floor is all red satin and shimmering pearl, glowing white jade pillars, and flashes of elegant art deco. This area is intimate and with soft lighting, a far cry from the brash lobbies across the Bund. Follow the brassy murmurs of jazz into the nearby Aura Lounge and watch a live trio dressed in pork-pie hats and braces play everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Duke Ellington. Order some afternoon tea and sit back while female servers glide around dressed in sparkling white cheongsams and black kitten heels.
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| Park Hyatt room/ photo: hotel |
Don’t miss a sunset cocktail on the rooftop terrace of Flair – one of Shanghai’s finest vino vantages with HUGE views of the TV Tower across to the Bund from end to end. Sip wine indoors or brave the elements and whip out your ring – and camera.
Towering over everything is one of the world’s highest hotels, the Park Hyatt Shanghai. The hotel soars from the 79th to 93rd floors of the vertiginous Shanghai World Financial Centre, nicknamed the "bottle opener” on account of its sleek design and signature hole at the top, spanned by a glass-bottomed observation bridge on the 100th floor.
Crisp, friendly and minimalist, the understated Park Hyatt is designed as a “contemporary Chinese residence” and features soaring ceilings, expansive views, Asian modern artworks and natural textures of bare blonde wood and cool granite at every turn. These natural elements continue in the 174 guestrooms, where you can also enjoy the latest luxury mod cons like espresso machines, CD/DVD players, complimentary wireless Internet, flat-screen TVs, iPod connectivity and hi-tech Japanese toilets. The large walk-in Oriental bathing areas are a highlight, with heated granite floors, an “overflowing” soaking tub and some of the biggest rain showerheads we’ve ever seen. Female floor butlers service all rooms.
The property also boasts an aerial tai chi courtyard, stunning sky-top swimming pool and Waters Edge Spa (you can also choose to have spa treatments in most rooms). The top three floors are capped by the world’s highest restaurant, bars and event space, called 100 Century Avenue. On the 91st floor is a very cool and convivial tavern with Western, Chinese and Japanese show kitchens and a 750-label cellar. Move on to the 92nd floor jazz bar or Oriental lounge with a small dance floor and ballroom dancing four nights a week.
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| Grand Hyatt, Jin Mao/ photo: Verghese |
The uppermost floor is a private dining space for 100 people adorned in modern Nordic style with mischievously random fixtures, like the ceramic moose heads in the meeting room. Wraparound views throughout the hotel are dominated by the jagged crown of the 88-storey Jinmao Tower right next door. All in all, this is a truly iconic statement among the contemporary crop of Shanghai business hotels.
The Jin Mao Tower is home to the Park Hyatt’s sister property, and formerly the world’s highest hotel, the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, which is located on the 53rd to 87th floors. The Grand Club rooms here are spacious and light-filled with sweeping views of the river and the Bund on a clear day. A nice feature is the hand-engraved Tang Dynasty poem in the cherry wood headboard and nifty double-side wardrobes that can be accessed from both the bedroom and bath. Tubs have great views and the shower cubicles sport side massage jets. The bathroom also offers dimmers for its lights in case you’re feeling romantic, in which case dump the Broadband and grab a blonde (not provided). For a caffeine hit in a rather spectacular setting head to the Patio Lounge which serves delicious coffee and cake at the base of an impressive atrium that spirals 33 floors up to the building’s crown. The Grand Hyatt is a versatile address but its real muscle comes in the form of extensive and customisable corporate meeting facilities that regularly rank it among the top Shanghai conference hotels. The Shanghai International Convention Centre is also just minutes away. (Grand Hyatt Shanghai features in our exclusive by-invitation Top Asian Hotels Collection, featuring the best Asian hotels, resorts and spas in a printable A4 page with stunning visuals.)
Just north of here is the new 686-room Gran Meliá Shanghai Hotel with several restaurants, an inviting light-filled pool deck, rooms with flat-screen TVs, marble bathrooms with separate tubs and showers, and WiFi. The hotel aims for conferences and the ballroom can host up to 800 persons.
The riverfront Pudong Shangri-La is Shanghai’s biggest five-star, with 950 rooms across two towers. The original tower is styled with classical European opulence while the newer Grand Tower is more sleek and contemporary. There is free WiFi throughout the hotel. The 375 spacious Grand Tower rooms and suites offer LCD flat screen TVs, DVDs, complimentary Internet and great views of the Puxi skyline.
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| Pudong Shangri-La/ photo: hotel |
The Grand Tower also has a second ballroom and health club, an 800sq m CHI spa with over 35 specialist treatments, and 12 drinking and dining venues, including the classy Japanese Nadaman and Yi Café, a lively all-day restaurant evoking a gourmet marketplace with 10 open kitchens presenting cuisines from China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. Situated by the Pudong riverfront and next door to the mega shopping complex Super Brand Mall, the Shangri-La is one of the front-runners in our Shanghai business hotels review and a popular conference and meetings venue. It is commonly found on MICE diaries.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts debuted its latest brand with the opening of the Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai in early 2011 opposite the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai’s largest exhibitions venue. Soaring 31 storeys over the Kerry Parkside shopping complex, the hotel has 574 rooms ranging in size from 42sq m to 168sq m and offering views of the city or Century Park. In addition, 182 serviced residences are available for long-stay guests.
Furnishings are sleek and contemporary with amenities such as 40-inch flatscreen TVs, iPod docks and complimentary Broadband and Wireless Internet. Sliding wall panels lead to a separate bath and shower area. Seven floors are devoted to Club accommodation, including 33 suites. Put your laptop down, and your feet up, in the bright and airy Club Lounge while being pampered by round-the-clock butlers. Groovy craft brewery, The Brew, offers boutique ales and live music, while The Cook has 11 designer theatre kitchens preparing different international cuisines.
Sporty guests can burn off calories at the three-floor sports club that includes a 24-hour gym, 25m swimming pool, tennis court, outdoor jogging track, Pilates and hot yoga. Kids can plunder an indoor playground. The day spa has a menu of massages, beauty packages and Chinese medicine treatments. The MICE market will find all their needs catered for with two ballrooms, 26 multi-function rooms, a business centre and 16 serviced offices.
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| Kerry Hotel Pudong/ photo: hotel |
Right opposite, the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel opened in early 2011 in the architecturally arresting Himalayas Centre, a new cultural nexus comprising the 1,100-seat DaGuan Theatre, Himalayas Art Museum and a luxury brand mall.
Jumeirah’s first hotel in China features 401 feng shui-inspired guestrooms, including 62 suites, with mod-Oriental furnishings, cutting-edge in-room amenities (high-definition LCD TV, Illy coffee machine, complimentary Wi-Fi), and huge moon bathtubs by the windows in some rooms. Guestrooms look out over Pudong or into the circular Jade Atrium and Zen garden. There are five restaurants and lounges including teppanyaki and sushi restaurants, a prime steakhouse and Shang-High Cuisine, which serves traditional local fare given a contemporary twist.
Jumeirah’s entrance is quite spectacular. The centrepiece of the 16-metre high lobby is a full-sized Ming Dynasty wooden pagoda that acts as a stage for daily performances of traditional arts and coolest DJs, while arty LED visuals dance across the ceiling.
Capitalising on its position right opposite the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Jumeirah offers extensive meetings, conference and event facilities, including two grand ballrooms and a rooftop Infinity Garden with BBQ pits. There’s also a 24-hour Fitness Centre and indoor swimming pool.
The InterContinental Shanghai Pudong is located in the eastern heartlands, but convenient to the metro line 2. The Club Floor rooms feature crisp white beds with China-red silk bed runners, along with traditional Chinese paintings and black wood cabinets. Some bedrooms and bathrooms (with Aigner toiletries) are separated by just a glass partition.
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| Jumeirah suite/ photo: hotel |
Five minutes from here, The St Regis Shanghai is located in a cigar-coloured building owned by a cigarette company. Its lackluster locale aside, this is a custom-built dream for top-end business travellers. Rooms are chic with funky opera-inspired touches, right down to velvet covers and satin drapes, and come with the St Regis signature 24-hour butler service for every guest. Executive touches extend to the Herman Miller mesh “Aeron Chair”, complimentary Broadband and unlimited coffee and tea freshly brewed by the butler – nothing quite so mundane as making it yourself here. Two floors are reserved exclusively for female travellers, complete with perfumed rooms, unpronounceable Bvlgari body products, fashion magazines and lady butlers. So there it is. A women’s floor. That covers most of the high-end Shanghai Pudong hotel choices.
For Accor aficionados there is the far-flung 446-room Sofitel Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong Shanghai with good facilities and smart rooms. As well as smart contemporary furnishings and high-speed Broadband, there are also good conference facilities (for up to 450 people), a health club and spa.
The Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park is quite a surprise. The 362-room hotel was actually conceived as an “art” hotel complementing the neighbouring Zendai Museum of Modern Art by the same owners. The trendy white-on-white design by Australian firm Hassel provides a fantastic canvas for specially commissioned artworks and sculptures by high-profile Chinese artists. There are creative solutions for the business traveller too: some of the guestrooms adjoin private meeting rooms and there is free Broadband and WiFi in public spaces. Recreational options extend to an outdoor pool and tennis court. Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park is miles from downtown but is part of the hip lifestyle and dining enclave of Thumb Plaza and the closest hotel to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo Centre.
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| Radisson, People's Square/ photo: Verghese |
Another surprisingly good choice in Pudong is the Courtyard Shanghai-Pudong (by Marriott), offering slick service and amenities that reach far beyond its US counterparts. This is an affordable trimmed-down-service hotel still with everything you need for a successful trip. The Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel is close to the New International Expo Centre and the Oriental Arts Centre, as is Sheraton’s addition to the neighbourhood, the Sheraton Shanghai Hotel & Residences, Pudong. This long-stay Shanghai hotel has joined the funky Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Pudong on the same multi-purpose site (the You You International Plaza Complex) and offers 141 serviced one to three-bedroom long stay apartments as well as regular rooms and suites.
Another Shanghai long-stay hotel alternative is Citadines Biyun Shanghai , which specialises in short or long-term serviced residences for business travellers. Local calls are free and there’s a 10 percent discount on laundry, dry-cleaning and meetings facilities.
And that’s our Shanghai business hotels wrap.
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