No Photoshop, just Instagram

@chrispytine on Twitter and Instagram

Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Secret to Shanghai

Sponsored

Shanghai is infamous for its breathtaking skyscraper view, IF it is on a good day. 

Almost every list of "things to do in Shanghai" has a visit to The Bund or a must-drink at so-and-so rooftop bars. Reality is, the infamous city view can be the first and the last as your eyelids flutter open and close, if you stay at the Jing An Shangri-La

The hotel’s 508 rooms occupy the top 29 floors of a 60-storey tower that is one of the tallest structures in an area that takes in the western end of Shanghai’s historic Nanjing Road. 
No disparity over views, everyone gets one!

You can bet you have more chances to catch clear skies staying at Shangri-La than catching the aurora in a glass igloo. 
           
The Shangri-La Jing An boasts more than 200 pieces of art, it's like living in a museum! Unfortunately, i'm not a fan of static art. I can fall asleep standing. However, if you appreciate Chinese art, you'll be ecstatic to know artworks of Masters Zeng Fanzhi and Zhou Chunya are permanent fixtures here. 

If you're shelling out top dollars, expect perfection and you can't find any flaw at newly opened Shangri-La Jing An

My enjoyment is in finding out the hotel's Health Center for guests far more comprehensive than anything i've seen. It doesn't just have a 25 meters pool, but a 24 hour gym with spanking new cardio machines, a steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi and even a dark corner with comfy sleeping pods in the changing rooms!
Shanghai, whilst a cosmopolitan city, still have grubby streets. Brave yourself, 
Shanghai's public toilet is a preview of an apocalypse. 

I look forward to retreating back to Shangri-La Jing An every evening, get under a rain simulating shower head, soap up in paraben-free toiletries or Bvlgari and glide on heated marble bathroom floors
There is even a TV in the bathroom mirrors!
Brushing 3 mins as recommended by the dentist is easy now!

Retreating to a luxurious abode also means getting your room turned down for the evening! It was a pleasant surprise to find the room playing with Shangri-La signature tunes when i returned. 


Shangri-La Jing An is uniquely Shanghainese in that it is a balance between the new and the traditional. With elegant chandeliers and TV embedded in mirrors, but with rosewood panelling and carpets that resemble paintings of traditional Chinese symbols like auspicious fish and colourful blooms. 
Visually poetic
Nespresso machines and Chinese tea sets are provided in Grand Premier Rooms. 
Taking a Me moment


The breakfast buffet is worth another blog post alone. It's the most extensive spread i've seen, with many interactive stations where chefs whip up salads, smoothies, noodles and omelettes according to your taste. Ice-cream for breakfast anyone? She cheekily said, "its permissible because it's summer" :p
Daily breakfast buffet at Cafe Liang
To have a breakfast with a view, try the Horizon Club where you can harvest your own sweet goodness from the honey comb or taste local dishes with a Shangri-La twist. 
Honey lemon water, honey spread on bread, honey on the rocks

Shangri-La's rendition of famous Shanghai street food, beancurd
While you're at it, be sure to check out the newly opened mediterranean restaurant-bar Calypso that is gaining popularity with well-heeled locals and expats alike. 

The building is quite a Transformer. An airy, two-storey structure, the first floor has floor to ceiling glass panels that can retract. The roof terrace was buzzing with after-work cheer, shades here can also extended for a more intimate setting or retracted for summer breeze. 

We tried their signature pizza and was told bricks were imported to build the stone oven that they have, like those in Italy. So patrons can taste pizzas as authentic as possible. 
The hotel also has many other drool-worthy restaurants set out to appease a wide range of palates. 

In the vicinity of the hotel, you can find the former residences of Mao Zedong, Sun Yet Sun, actress Zhou Xun and more. 

Follow their footsteps, stay in Jing An (Shangri-La). You can't go wrong. 

No comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...