More hotel arrivals are keeping Shanghai's accommodation scene fiercely competitive. The better for the consumer, says Julian Tan.
Not to be overshadowed by sister city Beijing, Shanghai is proving to be a formidable player in the hospitality industry, adding more hotels to an inventory already bursting at the seams. Seems like Olympic fever – and the Shanghai World Expo in 2010 – has also had a direct effect on the building frenzy.
In the coming months, visitors will encounter a fresh batch of accommodation options, familiar big-brand names and a new entrant to the Mainland. In filing this report, we visited a few pre-opening hotel offices (including one in the construction site) and inspected hotels which opened late last year.
The message was clear: these showcase brilliant and creative design concepts without compromising on comfort and functionality.
INSPIRED BY TRADITION
CONRAD
In the upscale district of Xintiandi in downtown Puxi, one cannot miss this futuristic-looking structure (two for that matter, the other belonging to Jumeirah) designed by New York-based Kohn Pedersen Fox. When Conrad Shanghai opens in September, the chain will have added 362 more rooms to its inventory in China, which currently includes Conrad Hongkong’s 532, and will be increased further when their sister property in Beijing opens in 2010. Its interiors will feature an “ultra-contemporary design” inspired by traditional Chinese motifs – the work of Remedios Siembieda. Guests can expect to indulge in a spa, six food and beverage outlets including a rooftop bar and restaurant in a lush garden setting and state-of-the-art meeting facilities among others.
CONTACT: conradhotels1.hilton.com
EQUIPPED FOR BUSINESS
CROWNE PLAZA CENTURY PARK
Strategically located in Pudong, this business hotel will offer easy access to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and Shanghai Pudong Expo Centre, as well as leisure attractions like Century Park and Shanghai Science & Technology Museum. Pudong International Airport is a 30-minute drive from the hotel, while the Lujiazui Finance & Trade Zone is 15 minutes away. All 319 guestrooms including 82 Club Rooms and 30 suites will provide the required office luxuries like workstations, high-speed internet access, cable/satellite TVs and IDD phones with voicemail. Three dining outlets, eight function rooms and fitness facilities will also be part of the package. The hotel opens in spring, but at press time, management declined to release a definite date.
CONTACT: www.centurypark.crowneplaza.com
DYNASTIC IN NATURE
JUMEIRAH HANTANG XINTIANDI
Nearing completion, the first China property of Dubai-based Jumeirah Group boasts an eye-catching exterior certain to enhance the Xintiandi district, which is famous for restored traditional shikumen (stone gate) houses. Its soft opening has been planned for August. The interiors were designed by Japan’s Super Potato and will incorporate design elements from the Han and Tang dynasties, hence the word “HanTang” in its name. Floral prints, wood and the colour red will form part of the look. The 309-room hotel intends to have a purpose-built wedding pavilion with an acrylic dome and a signature Chinese restaurant. Lavish touches will include Aesop bath kits, white onyx flooring in the spa and a refreshing white tea fragrance.
CONTACT: www.jumeirah.com
SCRAPING THE SKY
PARK HYATT
Eager to house the world’s tallest structure doesn’t stop in Dubai, Taipei or Kuala Lumpur. Shanghai’s Lujiazi business district in Pudong is home to the 492-metre, 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Center – where Park Hyatt will occupy the 79th to 93rd floors. Built next to its sister property Grand Hyatt, Park Hyatt is the product of skyscraper developer Mori Building (of Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills complex fame). New York-based designer Tony Chi is responsible for the interiors reminiscent of “a sophisticated modern-Chinese residence, designed with respect to traditional Chinese geometry and architecture while providing all the comforts of a stately home”, using a palette of earth tones and natural materials. There will be a living room, tea salon, dining room and an intimate bar. Guests of the 174-room property, which is due to open in July, can expect to arrive in style – the lobby is on the 87th floor.
CONTACT: shanghai.park.hyatt.com
RESORTING TO LUXURY
PULI HOTEL & SPA
This new entry to Shanghai’s hotel scene will be positioned as a luxury “urban resort”. Centrally located between Nanjing West Road and Yan An Road, PuLi overlooks Jin An Park and is part of Park Place, a multi-use retail, office and hotel development. The 229-room property intends to pamper its guests with 24-hour butler service and in-room dining, as well as all-day concierge, laundry and valet services. Full-size dressing mirrors, rainforest showers, bath areas offering views of the park and city, and complimentary Wi-Fi in room are also what its guests can expect. There’s a restaurant serving a choice of menus including organic, honed or homemade selections for breakfast. A mid-year opening has been set for the hotel.
CONTACT: www.parkplace.com.cn
READY TO NETWORK
RADISSON SHANGHAI HONG QUAN
This contemporary-designed hotel will comprise 317 guestrooms, including 33 suites and five Radisson Club Floors with a top-floor lounge offering city views. All guestrooms will have workstations, high-speed internet connection, minibars, tea/coffee-making sets and safes, while public areas will be Wi-Fi enabled. Guests will have a choice of three restaurants (serving Chinese and international) and two lounge bars, a health club, an indoor heated pool and business centre. For networking, there’s a 400-square-metre grand ballroom which will be able to accommodate up to 500 people and other function and banquet spaces of varying sizes. The hotel’s highly anticipated opening has been scheduled for May 13. Travelling by car will take 15 minutes from Hong Qiao Airport and 20 minutes from Xintiandi.
CONTACT: www.radisson.com/shanghaicn_hotel
UP AND RUNNING
HOWARD JOHNSON CAIDA PLAZA
Launched three days after Christmas last year, this hotel in Yangpu district features 272 rooms and suites equipped with plasma TVs, broadband internet access and phones with voicemail. Business travellers are well provided for with Wi-Fi available in all its restaurants, lounge and conference areas, as well as a grand ballroom accommodating 300, seven meeting rooms, virtual offices and a business centre. Fitness buffs can take advantage of the health club, sauna room and swimming pool. For dining, Bliss Western serves an international menu, while Chunda Xuan has Shanghainese and Cantonese. Bistro Bar and lobby lounge are for chilling out. Make sure you catch the pastry chef who entertains by creating art pieces out of flour and sugar.
CONTACT: www.hojo.com
HYATT ON THE BUND
Rooms are well angled to take advantage of the hotel’s premier location on the northern end of the Bund so that guests can enjoy either views of the historical architecture down the Bund or Pudong across the river. This 631-room property, which opened last November, has rooms ranging from 42sqm to 300sqm in the East and West Towers. Floor-to-ceiling windows, rotating flat-screen televisions, DVD players, wired and wireless broadband internet and glass- and marble-clad open bathrooms (or close for more privacy) are room standards. For more breathtaking views, book a table in the signature restaurant and bar Vue, which occupies the top four floors of the West Tower. Other highlights include two ballrooms with outdoor terraces, a 25-metre indoor pool, the Yuan Spa offering water-based Oriental treatments and Next salon from Singapore.
CONTACT: shanghai.bund.hyatt.com
RENAISSANCE SHANGHAI YUYUAN
Adding to the charm of Puxi’s Huangpu area is this 340-room hotel, which opened in September last year. It is within walking distance of the renowned Yu Garden from the Ming era. The area surrounding Yuyuan, also known as “Old City”, is home to other attractions such as Temple of the City Gold, Huixinting Tea House and Yuyuan arts and crafts markets. Developments nearby are under way, including a mall and office building likely to be completed by end of the year. Guests with a taste for the unusual may appreciate the glass-enclosed bathrooms, or, for those seeking a voyeuristic adventure, having bathtubs installed in the living area, offering stunning views of old and new Shanghai. For pampering by the professionals, Quan Spa offers 10 private treatment rooms, water-based therapies, a Vichy Shower Room, foot massages and a health bar.
CONTACT: www.marriott.com
SWISSÔTEL GRAND SHANGHAI
This five-star hotel in Puxi’s Jing’An district opened March 30. Guests have a choice of 467 rooms including 150 Swiss Advantage Rooms and 83 Executive Club Rooms, as well as leisure facilities like a spa, fitness centre and swimming pool with a paddling pool for kids. Café Swiss is for all-day dining and Mian Ba serves authentic regional Chinese dishes, while Energia and The Flow (lobby lounge) are for drinks and relaxation. A 575-square-metre grand ballroom, 390-square-metre junior ballroom and six multifunctional rooms fulfil meeting and banquet needs. An introductory room rate starts from CNY1,295 (US$182) inclusive of complimentary buffet breakfast and internet access and is valid until May 31.
CONTACT: www.shanghai.swissotel.com
