A New Hotel in China: W Shanghai - The Bund

W Hotels Worldwide has launched W Shanghai – The Bund. Located in the North Bund overlooking the Haungpu River, the luxury hotel is located in the heart of Shanghai. Owned by Sinar Mas Group, the hotel is designed to combine Shanghai’s past with its avant-garde present.

Designed by the acclaimed G.A Design, the hotel showcases the idea of Hai Pai, the art of combining the old and the new, East and West. Both in the hotel’s location (positioned between the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River) as well as the surrounding Art Deco local, the hotel was designed to draw upon the colonial glamour and futuristic motifs of the city.

The Rooms

Guests are greeted by a neon light installation in the W’s Living Room. The installation is based on the traditional scene of wet laundry being hung out to try down narrow alleyways. The Welcome Desk includes a kaleidoscopic fixture, "echoing the constant flow of guests through the area." Shanghai is a melting pot of cultures and ‘The ‘Melting Qipao’ pattern represents this and can be seen on the walls of the restrooms. 

Almost all of the 374 guestrooms and suites offer views of the Huangpu River due to the curved frame of the building. Each comes with a pillow pillow in the shape of Shanghai’s famous Xiaolongbao (soup) dumpling and chopsticks as well as switchable privacy glass and Nespresso Coffee machines.

Thirty-five of the rooms are suites, including the Cloud on the Bund, which includes an LED wall and a hanging bed. The duplex Extreme WOW Suite measures over 4,000 square feet, and has a hanging neon installation in the shape of lips blowing out dragon smoke. 

The Food

W Shanghai – The Bund offers five dining and bar locations. The Kitchen Table was inspired by a modern New York bistro and celebrates Shanghai’s thriving trade. 

For more traditional fare, YEN offers Cantonese dining. Before dinner, guests can sneak off for cocktails at LIQUID AT YEN, a hidden speakeasy. The design is meant to briung guests to 1920s Shanghair and features a handcrafted selection of drinks created by the on-site “Cocktail Professor.”

WOOBAR transforms from a daytime lounge to a vibrant evening cocktail bar. 

WET (the hotel’s pool) and WET BAR offer views of the electric Shanghai skyline.

Business and Relaxation

There is more than 64,000 square feet of meeting and event space at the hotel: The Great Room is billed as the largest event space in Western Shanghai, according to the company. The room offers 20-foot ceilings, plus a series of oversized mirror collages with a Qipao style, overlapped by an Art Deco-inspired screen.

The AWAY Spa offers massages, body treatments, facials, and quick fixes. Guests also have access to the 24/7 gym that is equipped with the latest equipment. There are also yoga and tai chi classes available on the hotel’s deck.  

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