Shanghai
China
Date: 1 Oct 2006
Hotels in Shanghai featured in this programme
88 Xintiandi
Located in the heart of a fashionable neighborhood teeming with bars, cafés and restaurants, 88 Xintiandi is a modern hotel with views over a park and lake. Built in 2000 and housing 53 rooms, 88 Xintiandi showcases a contemporary interpretation of traditional Chinese design. There is no bar or restaurant as such, but guests are regaled with an impressive buffet breakfast. Each room contains a kitchen area and broadband Internet access. Guests are welcome to use the swimming pool and sauna in the gym in the mall next door. They also have exclusive access to the members-only bar and restaurant The Club by the Lake.
Hotel Number 9
Tucked away on a quiet side street in the French Concession area of the city, Hotel Number 9 was once a private residence, owned by the same family for the past four or five generations. In a city obsessed with modernisation, where onward usually means upward, it is refreshing to come across an authentic art deco dwelling. Forget power showers or double-glazing: what this six-roomed home from home has in spades is character, thanks to traditional Chinese objets d’art, dim sum for breakfast and friendly service. The best room is the penthouse, which includes a kitchenette, TV room, two sitting rooms, walk-in closet, a big terrace and a small balcony. There is no restaurant at the hotel, but the staff serve breakfast and, with advance warning, can prepare a delicious lunch or supper, using fresh ingredients from the market across the road.
Fuchun Resort
Three hours southwest of the city, travellers will find award-winning
Fuchun Resort, set in what could be a traditional Chinese landscape of yesteryear, surrounded by a tea plantation and a golf course. Fuchun Resort's serene atmosphere and sprawling layout encourage its guests to embrace the tranquillity within. The resort houses 70 rooms and suites with views over the lake and gardens, and 12 stand-alone villas. There are separate men’s and ladies’ spa facilities – complimentary for guests – massages, sauna, steam rooms. Fuchun Resort offers yoga and t'ai chi taught by a master. It also has China’s only 18-hole golf course, two Astroturf tennis courts, two pools, three outdoor Jacuzzis, a small gym, and boat service across the lake. All rooms are equipped with satellite TV, CD player, broadband Internet and minibar; five of the hilltop villas have their own indoor pools.
