The Shanghai Edition. Credit: The Shanghai Edition
This has been a banner year for Shanghai hotel openings, with long-awaited imports from Las Vegas (Bellagio), Bangkok (Sukhothai) and Rome (Bvlgari).
Some occupy heritage buildings while others are new builds housed in gleaming towers. All provide prime locations on the Puxi side of Huangpu River, either right downtown or near the Bund.
No matter what kind of stay you crave, these five recent additions to Shanghai’s high-end hotel scene are sure to deliver.
The Shanghai Edition
When this 145-room retreat opened a few blocks off the Bund in late July, it was Shanghai denizens who were most excited — mostly for the hotel’s four bars, three dining venues (including Japanese restaurant Hiya) and nightclub.
Occupying two handsome 1930s art deco buildings, the property resides in the former headquarters of Shanghai Power Company and East China Electric Power — a tribute to the previous tenants can be found in the onsite club Electric Circus.
The rooms are Zen, with clean lines, a blond wood platform bed and desk, and Le Labo bath products. You’ll know you’re in Shanghai by the dynamic views outside the window of Huangpu River, the Bund and the Pudong skyline.
The Middle House. Credit: The Middle House
The Middle House
Beijing has long been home to Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Opposite House and Hong Kong lays claim to Four-Star The Upper House, but in April, Shanghai finally got its turn with the debut of this sleek gem from The House Collective.
Situated in the trendy Jing’an district (buffered from busy West Nanjing Road by a bamboo-lined driveway), the 111 rooms and 102 residences (serviced apartments, to be precise) all have beautiful, dark-stained wooden floors that reflect the light pouring in through floor-to-ceiling windows. Thoughtful amenities include a Lululemon yoga mat, a Native Union x La Boite Bluetooth speaker, Bamford-branded bath products and a gratis “Maxi Bar.”
The Middle House’s terrace at Café Grey Deluxe and patio at Italian restaurant Frasca have quickly become go-to neighborhood spots for alfresco wining and dining.
The Sukhothai Shanghai. Credit: The Sukhothai Shanghai
The Sukhothai Shanghai
Emulating a chic Shanghai pied-à-terre, the only Sukhothai hotel outside Bangkok has served as a contemporary urban retreat in Jing’an since its April debut.
The décor in the property’s 170 rooms is warm — think pale pink or celadon green walls, a neat bouquet of fresh flowers and toiletries from cult Australian brand Grown Alchemist — and includes tech-focused touches such as Sonos sound bars and bedside panels that control lighting and curtains.
But this cozy hotel provides more than just the comforts of home, stocking 180-plus wines and 80 types of gin. Stop by Urban Lounge Tuesday through Saturday night to sample the goods and enjoy live jazz, or simply pop into modern Italian restaurant La Scala for one of its prix fixe business lunches.
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Bellagio Shanghai
This Vegas staple has made its way to Shanghai with a spectacular (if casino-less) stay on Suzhou Creek.
The first Bellagio property outside of the U.S., this glamorous resort boasts 138 spacious accommodations, all offering sparkling views of the waterfront and Pudong skyline.
Three restaurants deliver an extra touch of Sin City-style indulgence: James Beard Award-winning chef Julian Serrano brings his Italian concept Lago to the Chinese coast; Café Bellagio gives a swish upmarket take on an American diner; and Shanghainese eatery Mansion on One serves some of the best Peking duck in town in a beautifully restored 1920s heritage building.
Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai. Credit: Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai
Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai
Shanghai loves glitz and glam, so when this Bvlgari-branded hotel opened in July, the city was ready to pounce. A beautiful blend of past and present, the property occupies two contemporary rose-gold towers that rise next to the neoclassical former Chamber of Commerce building.
The 82 guest rooms are in the towers, while the restored historic structure holds a ballroom, whiskey bar and Cantonese/Shanghainese restaurant Bao Li Xuan. Tucked into the grounds, you’ll find lush little Il Giardino, where under umbrella-shaded tables, Aperol spritzes and scoops of gelato are the order of the day.
The hotel is a few blocks off the Bund near Yu Garden, but its height means many of the rooms afford vistas of the Pudong skyline. Opt for a city-view room (or a tipple at 48th-floor bar La Terrazza) to look across the river at the stretch of illuminated skyscrapers.
