W Hotels is bringing its signature Living Room lounge and Whatever/Whenever service to Shanghai. Come summer 2017, the W Shanghai-The Bund will open its doors in a skyscraper on the banks of the Huangpu River. The International Cruise Terminal Station of Shanghai Metro’s Line 12 will be within walking distance. Decorated in a contemporary style with nods to old Shanghai, the 374 guestrooms, including 35 suites, will have panoramic views of the river and Pudong skyline. We hear the “Cloud on the Bund” suite will have its own hanging bed and LED Wall! What’s more, the Extreme Wow Suite will occupy a large duplex with a fully equipped bar.
The W Shanghai-The Bund will have an indoor/outdoor pool, W's signature AWAY Spa, plus 5,300 square meters (over 57,000 square feet) of event space including 17 meeting rooms and a Grand Ballroom. There will be five F&B outlets: The Kitchen Table, a contemporary NYC-style bistro; Yen, serving Cantonese cuisine; Liquid, a destination cocktail bar; Woobar, hosting an impressive roster of international DJs; and Wet Deck, the pool terrace with views over the city.
This will be the W brand’s third hotel in China after Beijing and Guangzhou—with an array of upcoming destinations including Guangzhou, Xian, and Chengdu. Last year the W brand joined the Marriott portfolio after Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. First launched in 1998 in New York City, W Hotels now has more than 49 urban hotels and retreats around the globe. There are 37 properties in the pipeline including Madrid, Milan, Belgrade, Edinburgh, the Algarve region of Portugal, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Mumbai, Marrakech, and Brisbane.
In other big hotel news for Shanghai: Amanresorts will be coming to town by the end of 2017. Just outside the city, the Amanyangun resort will be housed in a village of historic, relocated and restored Ming- and Qing-dynasty houses.