Art deco tinged with Chinese touches sums up the look and feel of the latest addition to Shanghai’s iconic Bund district. The Peninsula Shanghai, launched a week ago (October 19), exudes the aura of an elegant mansion commonplace during the city’s heyday in the 20s and 30s of the last century.
The 235-room hotel is the first new building in 60 years in a precinct, famous for its scenic views of the Huangpu River dividing Shanghai between the historical and more developed Puxi (west) and spectacularly emerging Pudong (east) with its shiny skyscrapers and extensive network of highways and bridges.
But more than just offering business travellers a stylish address, this third China-located Peninsula – the other two are the flagship Peninsula Hongkong and Peninsula Beijing – supplies the tools for a productive stay: proprietary state-of-the-art-room technology such as the bedside user-friendly control panel among others, Wi-Fi internet access throughout the building and the Rose Ballroom accommodating 450 for sit-down banquet or 1,000 for cocktails, and attached to it, making events staged there even more unique, is an elevator large enough to deliver a limousine into the hall.
Here’s a quick look at Shanghai's latest hotel player.
The double-height lobby will eventually look out onto the gardens of the former British consulate and serves the chain's famous traditional English high tea
The reception area leading to the 180 guestrooms (Superior, Deluxe, Deluxe Garden, Deluxe River, Deluxe Terrace and Grand Deluxe River Room) and 55 suites (Executive Suite, Deluxe Garden Suite, Deluxe River Suite, Grand Deluxe Suite, Astor Suite with terrace and outdoor whirlpool tub, Majestic Suite, Palace Suite with roof terrace and Peninsula Suite)
The Grand Deluxe Suite boasts The Peninsula's usual bells and whistles such as understated but still elegant furnishings and user-friendly technology
One of the seven dining salons belonging to Yi Long Court which serves Cantonese cuisine
The 25m indoor swimming pool with the Peninsula Spa by ESPA and fitness centre on the same level
For more details of the hotel and the promotional rate valid until February 28, 2010, visit www.peninsula.com
Margie T Logarta
