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travel

text byedwin tam

images courtesy of 88 xintiandi,

jia shanghai, mansion and urbn hotels

Whil i Shaha i, I fd all srts f placs t stay i: htls with

cki-cttr rms r by itratial chais; -frills rsidcs i

crmbly Art Dc bildis; scrf fy hstls with scrff ir backpackrs;

stat-r, t ild-wall mtls; ad htls with r tiis lbbis th56th flr f a skyscrapr i Pd (th sbrba part f Shahai).

Th city has a ll srts f htls bi, small ad ryt hi i btw

xcpt fr htls with prsality.

Y kw th srt: htls that sticlat wildly w ith itrir dcr

bhid statly ry faads; ths tha t ha a spt smtims dbis

i histry; ad placs with philsphis ctrary t praili rms.

W ca call thm dsi htls r if y wish, btiq htls.

Sadly, th trm has lst its ma i. Btiq htls wadays td t

b ric cmmditis spawd frm trailblazrs sch as W Htl.

Rh ccrt slabs prtdi t b this t sit ar ridiclsrip-ffs, spcial ly wh I pay d my fr a ihts slp.

Ths btiq htls ad thir rms shld t jst b spacs with

waab Z-ish prtsis. Styl shld had i had w ith sb-

stac. Bt th qsti rmais ar thr ay stylish ad sbstatialhtls i this Chis sprawl f smy scry, Art Dc bildis

adxiaolongbaos?

Trthflly, t may. Mst htls mrly catr t bsiss trallrs

wh ar passi thrh. Bt this sitati is slwly chai as thris a small ich f htls that prid sal xprics t trallrs

tird f cki-cttr rms. S whthr it is wipi t yr carb

ftprit, lii it p at a Starck-ispird rm r amst 1920s

astr plc, ths fr htls crtaily dsr t b calldbtiq htls.

CA RvI ng ouTA nICHeShanghai

boutiquehotelS

JIA Shanghai, lobby

JIA Shanghai, Balcony Suite

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A Wicked SenSe Of HumOur

JiA, SHAngHAi

JIAs sense o humour starts in t he lobby wheretwo oversized Quee bears, painted black and redrespectively, sit behind the umbrella table de-signed by Andr Fu o Hong Kong architectural rm

AFSO. From there, it is up the elevator and throughmoody corridors supposedly meant to be secre-

tive into one o their guestrooms.

Each guestroom is designed by buro Architectswith Hecker Phelan and Guthrie Interiors. They aredecked out in timber-panelled walls; over-scaledcustom-designed foor rugs; kitchen pods with mi-crowave ovens or eat-in nights; state o the arthome theatre entertainment systems; and urniturepieces by Knoll, Minotti, Moroso, Hans Wegner aswell as lighting by Flos and Artemide.

There were two things that I liked about the rooms:one, it was a un hide-and-seek aair where thebathrooms, closets and other what-not were clev-erly hidden behind unassuming panels; two, thePop Art-style wallpapers o Chairman Mao and other

Chinese motis were cheeky mood-lighteners.

Where: 931 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai, PRC200041; Tel: [86] 21 6217 9000;Fax: [86] 21 6287 9001; rez@jiashanghai.com;www.jiashanghai.com

Rooms: 55 guestrooms. They are categorisedas: Studio, Studio Plus, Suite, Balcony Suite andPenthouse Suite. Costs range rom RMB 2,000or a Studio Guestroom to RMB 18,000 or aPenthouse suite.

Wine and dine at: Issimo (Italian) and LobbyBar (cocktails).

Recommended for:The designer home-away-rom-home eel.

JIA Shanghai, lobby bar JIA Shanghai, Penthouse Suite

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cArbOn neutrAl fOOtprintS

urbn HOtel

Owners ourbn Hotel, Scott Barrack and JulesKwan, take the ecologically-riendly cake bybuilding Chinas rst car bon neutral ho tel. Beingcarbon neutral involves calculating the hotelscarbon usage the total amount o energyconsumed by the hotel and each guest andosetting it by donating an equivalent amounto money to energy development and emissionreduction projects in China. This philosophy is

extended to guests in the orm o carboncredits that unction in the same way as the earliermentioned donations.

urbn Hotels ecologically-riendly principle is alsoound within the hotels materials and design. Thehotels structure was originally an old actory,now renovated using recycled materials such ashardwoods and old Shanghai bricks. Their notiono reusing materials is most apparent in the lobby the wall behind the reception area is constructedrom old leather suitcases neatly stacked on top oeach other.

The hotel rooms are compact and dominated by a

big plush bed. At the oot o each bed are recessedlounge areas that double as wor k spaces. Therooms spartan eel is alleviated with ethnically-

themed decorations; ergonomic urnishings maderom recycled materials; and, in some rooms, stonebathtubs that keep the water heated ar longer thannormal porcelain tubs.

Where: 183 Jiao Zhou Road, Shanghai, PRC200040; Tel: [86] 21 5153 4600;Fax: [86] 21 5153 4610; ino@urbnhotels.com;www.urbnhotels.com

Rooms: 26 guestrooms. They are categorised as:Studio Lounge, Atrium, Garden View, Courtyard

Suite and Penthouse. Costs range rom RMB 2,000or a Studio Lounge to RMB 8,000 or a Penthouse.

Wine and dine at: Roomtwentyeight (International).

Recommended for: Save-the-Earthdesigner types.

StrAigHt frOm An Old

HOng kOng drAmA

mAnSiOn HOtel

A gangsters barometer or success lies in theirhordes o bling. The Mansion Hotel, once ownedby Du Yue Sheng, is certainly lush with articlesrom building a criminal empire that exceeded

Al Capones in the 1920s.

Not that it gave any indication rom the outside;it looked like an ordinary French villa. But inside, it is

another matter entirely. The hotel simply overfowswith the opulence and extravagance common to

the gang lords o the 1920s. For starters, the lobbyshowcases maximal aluence with plump velvetsoas and ottomans; towering glass cabinets oporcelain; 1920s paraphernalia old olding cam-eras, rotary dial telephones and massive, crumblyledgers displayed or curious guests; and elabo-rate sparkling chandeliers.

The vibe extends to the suites where the usual lux-ury beds, entert ainment and bathroom options arereadily available. Despite the abundance o modernamenities, the rooms remain mostly in character:high-tech CD players are disguised under 1920s

radio aades; study desks are solid, worn and de-pendable; there is even a aux replace to complete

the illusion o old Shanghai!

Where: 82 Xin Le Road, Shanghai, PRC 200031;Tel: [86] 21 5403 9888; Fax: [86] 21 5403 7077;ino@chinamansionhotel.com;www.chinamansionhotel.com

Rooms: 30 guestrooms. They are categorised as:Deluxe King, Superior King, Balcony King, DeluxeSuite, Executive Suite and Mansion Suite. Ratesrange rom US$266 or a Deluxe King Guestro om

to US$810 or a Mansion Suite.

Wine and dine at: Han Lin Gold Palace SharksFin Seaood Restaurant (Cantonese), MansionSkyline (International) and The Rendezvous CoeeLounge (co ee).

Recommended for:A taste o old Shanghai.

Mansion Hotel, Su perior King room

88 Xintiandi, spa88 Xintiandi, lobby

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itS in tHe detAilS

88 XintiAndi

88 Xintiandi has two things going or it: one, it ison the edge o Xintiandi a trendy district o re-vamped alley houses containing upmarket bou-

tiques, restaurants and bars; two, these guys paygreat attention to detail.

Instead o using doors, bedrooms, kitchenettesand living spaces are separated rom each otherwith the subtlest o details: bedrooms are denoted

by raised platorms screened with diaphanouscurtains; ornamental wooden par titions sepa-rate the sitting areas; and kitchenettes hide inwall recesses.

They also oer a host o little things that helpguests relax and be healthier and wiser. Guests canchoose rom an array o unusual duvets and pillows

that are supposedly conducive or a good night ssleep such as thermo-regulating duvets, VitaminE duvets, tea pillows and memory oam pillows. AsShanghai is not particularly healthy with air thatis heavily polluted and not quite nearly breathable the hotel uses air puriying systems to cleanse

the air and E-smog reducing equipment to reduce

the levels o harmul magnetic rays. Every evening,guests are given a knowledge card with lit tlesnippets o wisdom to mull over.

While I enjoyed the little things, it was the view oXintiandisShikumen (old alley houses) that blew meaway. The sea o pointed roos and ash-grey brickstructures seemed to belong in a wuxia pian (mar-

tial arts lm).

Where: 380 Huang Pi Nan Road, Shanghai,PRC 200021; Tel: [86] 21 5383 8833;Fax: [86] 21 5383 8877; enquiry@88xintiandi.com;www.88xintiandi.com

Rooms: 53 guestrooms. They are categorised as:Superior, Deluxe with Lake View, One-bedroomSuite, Two-bedroom Suite, and Two-bedroom Suitewith Lake View and Executive Suite. Rates rangerom US$288 or a Superior Guestroom to US$718or an Executive Suite.

Wine and dine at: Restaurants in Xintiandi. You willbe spoilt or choice.

Recommended for:Spacious rooms and the viewo Shanghais Shikumen.

Mansion Hotel, hallway

88 Xintiandi URBN Hotel, Atrium bathroom