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As true hotel aficionados, we at Alliance Hospitality are not devoid of curiosity and an insatiable thirst for discovery, especially when it comes down to new properties. Seems like, despite an unquestionably challenging 2020, the world of accommodation does not desire to stop and multiple hotels are scheduled for opening or have just started welcoming guests this year. We have asked our team of expert consultants to share their preferences and tell us, which properties they are looking forward to visiting the most. Here are their top three picks!
The Westbund Hotel Shanghai, a Rocco Forte Hotel
The first Rocco Forte property in China, The Westbund Hotel Shanghai was our Director of Project Development Service Max Huang’s choice this year, and it is not hard to see why. An exquisite creation of world-renowned designers Olga Polizzi and Inge Moore, the hotel occupies the highest floors of the newest building in West Bund, featuring a sleek all-glass façade with captivating streamlined curves.
But the property’s sexy looks are not the only thing deserving attention. The West Bund area has long been known for its dynamic art and culture scene, featuring an AI tower, world-leading museums, numerous galleries, multimedia theaters, and other attractions. Amidst all this splendid atmosphere it is only natural to expect a unique experience from a boutique family-owned chain.
Apart from the impeccable design, Max also mentions that Rocco Forte hotels tend to have strong stories behind each property – something seasoned hospitality professionals usually value greatly, given a large number of standardized accommodation choices and, at times, a lack of originality. The Westbund Shanghai is not an exception: the classical Anlgo-Italian style of the family merges seamlessly with the truly Chinese-inspired aesthetics and palettes, turning the property into a fusion child of the multicultural city.
Boasting 161 guest rooms and 58 elegant suites including a 220 square-meters Forte Suite and a 270 square-meters Presidential Suite, the hotel is also expected to surprise its demanding public with dining specials, bringing the best of Italian cuisine to the table. Last but not least, Max says many members of the operations team have previously worked at Four Seasons making the high-quality service standards an undoubted and highly sought-after feature. Rumor has it, The Westbund Hotel Shanghai is to open its doors to guests some time in Q3 2021 and we are certainly looking forward to it.
The J Hotel, Shanghai Tower
As tempting as it may be to focus on international brands providing interesting strategy solutions for each destination, domestic businesses definitely have something interesting to offer as well. As a testament to this position, our Project Development Service associate Carlson Li chose J Hotel Shanghai Tower to visit in 2021. A Jin Jiang International Hotels Group property, the new ultra-luxury hotel will be housed in the Shanghai Tower – one of the tallest buildings in the world!
Carlson mentions that one of the major reasons why he is interested in this particular property is the fact that this is the brand’s most luxurious offering at the moment. Indeed, a spacious lobby on the 101st floor, 258 extravagant guest rooms, and fabulous design are not exactly the features pertaining to just any hotel. Finally, the location makes it absolutely worth at least a visit – situated in the center of Lujiazui, next to Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center, The J Hotel will let you feel like a hero of a futuristic movie.
The New Bund Shangri-La Hotel, Qiantan
Last but definitely not least, another one of our Project Development Service Associates Charmaine Wang has always been interested in mixed-use developments as they provide a great opportunity to see not only a hotel but a whole ecosystem of interrelated projects reinforcing each other through synergy. Thankfully, Shanghai is not stingy on such large-scale endeavors, with exciting ventures springing up like mushrooms.
One such development worthy of attention is Taikoo Li Qiantan featuring whooping 120,000 square meters of space that boasts 56-floor Grade-A office tower – “New Bund Center” – and, predictably, a five-star luxury property, specifically, New Bund Shangri-La Hotel. Being the third Shangri-La in town, Charmaine expects lavish design, familiarly high service standards, and a true soul of uniquely Asian hospitality. But apart from that, unparalleled retail, F&B and leisure experiences are promised to the guests as Taikoo Li concept has firmly taken roots with über-successful projects in Beijing and Chengdu. This time it is planning on becoming Lujiazui 2.0 and conquering the hearts of the continent gateway city’s visitors and locals.