Park Hyatt Shanghai
Shanghai
Staying at the Park Hyatt in Shanghai means staying in the tallest building in China. The reality does not disappoint; stunning architecture, incredibly tastefully decorated rooms and outrageously perfect views of the city all add to the hotel's triumph and to make this a very comfortable base in the city. The hotel also has a strong focus on contemporary Chinese art, look out for fun sculptures dotted around. The 179 rooms and suites, all with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city, are located between floors 79 and 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Centre and immaculately designed & fitted out with plenty of wardrobe space, giant bathrooms and extremely comfortable beds. The 100 Century Avenue Restaurant on the 91st floor is a hive of activity with every kitchen station visible and audible to you, cooking every thinkable cuisine from Japanese and Chinese to Italian and French. It translates into the most luxurious food market vibe imaginable. We also love both bars, found on the 92nd floor, again both with excellent views. The infinity swimming pool has been cleverly designed to maximise privacy and the gym and health centre offer complimentary Tai Chi classes each morning. The one downside is that you are not located in the most interesting part of the city and so cannot explore the Bund by foot.
To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson