Big news in the hotel world: Bulgari will be opening its fourth hotel in Shanghai in 2015. (To see why we’re ecstatic, check out Luxury Travel Advisor’s first-hand review of the Bulgari Hotel London.) Shanghai has emerged as one of the hottest hotel markets of the moment, with the brand new Four Seasons and Luxury Collection hotels. The new Bulgari Hotel in Shanghai will occupy the top 12 floors of a 40-storey riverside building designed by acclaimed architects Foster+Partners, and situated in the Zhabei District.
Facilities will include a spa, rooftop swimming pool and bar, plus a fine Chinese restaurant housed in the former Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Next up for the brand: luxury hotels in Rome, Paris, New York, Miami and California. For more information, visit www.bulgarihotels.com.
Joining sister hotel Four Seasons Shanghai (situated in the central Puxi district), the Four Seasons Hotel Pudong, Shanghai opened in September. The property occupies 11 floors of the 21st Century Tower in Pudong's Lujiazhui financial zone. The brand new hotel opened its doors with a 24-hour Health Club, an indoor infinity pool overlooking the Shanghai skyline, a spa with two VIP suites, plus two restaurants: Shàng-xí for Chinese gourmet cuisine, and Camelia for all-day dining in a happening ambience (including a sushi bar, whiskey bar, and wine lounge).
Inspired by the city’s glam Art Deco period, the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious marble bathrooms. The aesthetic is distinctly sleek and contemporary. There is also an Executive Club floor.
Hot on the heels of the Four Seasons Pudong, Starwood’s Luxury Collection will debut a new hotel in Shanghai on November 29, 2012. Twelve at Hengshan will be the only five-star hotel located in the former French Concession, a historic district filled with restaurants and bars. Hengshan Road itself is lined with art deco buildings and plane trees.
Designed by Italian architect Mario Botta, the five-storey building is defined by its central courtyard garden. On the outside, 20,000 terracotta tiles dress the façade. Inside, there are two restaurants, a health club, spa, indoor pool, and 171 light-filled guest rooms decorated by Yabu Pushelberg. Suites come with Hermes bath products.
This month, Banyan Tree will take its place among the world-famous hotels on The Bund in Shanghai. Lined with dozens of historic buildings, the waterfront promenade is home to the Peace Hotel and the Waldorf Astoria, among others. The Bund’s newest addition will “trump all,” says the Sydney Morning Herald, “by becoming the first hotel to have Shanghai River views from every suite.” Billed as an “urban resort,” the Banyan Tree Shanghai on The Bund will have 130 suites, its signature suite coming complete with its own swimming pool.
There will be four restaurants and bars. Oceans will serve “Western-style seafood”; Ming Yuan will serve up authentic Cantonese cuisine; Tai Hei will have Japanese sushi and sashimi; and the rooftop bar, Stars, will be the al fresco spot to take in the sunset over the Bund. In addition, the resort will have a Banyan Tree Spa, a health club, and the Banyan Tree Gallery.