Park Hyatt Shanghai
Taking minimalist sophistication to new heights
You can’t miss Park Hyatt Shanghai — its towering screwdriver-like structure is the tallest skyscraper in the city. But you won’t find that flash inside the quiet Shanghai hotel, where gray, cream and chocolate-brown hues and dark wood give it a sleek, Zen-like aura. The hotel keeps it interesting with maze-like hidden doors, striking contemporary art, patches of grass in some of the rooms and a lovely infinity pool that feels like it’s on top of the world.
As more and more luxury hotels pop up in the skyrocketing Pudong area, Park Hyatt Shanghai maintains an aura of simplicity combined with an underlying tone of lavishness. Instead of gaudy, overt extravagance, you’ll find the muted elegance of a private residence here. The clientele is less touristy than at other hotels in the area, whether in the lobby area taking afternoon tea or having a cocktail in the intimate Shanghai Lounge.
As more and more luxury hotels pop up in the skyrocketing Pudong area, Park Hyatt Shanghai maintains an aura of simplicity combined with an underlying tone of lavishness. Instead of gaudy, overt extravagance, you’ll find the muted elegance of a private residence here. The clientele is less touristy than at other hotels in the area, whether in the lobby area taking afternoon tea or having a cocktail in the intimate Shanghai Lounge.
Our Inspector's Highlights
- You can’t miss the hotel in Shanghai’s Pudong-side skyline; the building looks like a screwdriver. Architecturally speaking, the luxury hotel was crafted to use every inch of glass to its fullest, displaying the entire splendor of the city below.
- The Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel sits atop the highest skyscraper in the city — the Shanghai World Financial Center — in the heart of the Financial District. Park Hyatt Shanghai takes up the 79th to 93rd floors.
- Music Room on the 97th floor is the obvious destination bar. Music Room boasts the title of the highest bar in the city (though the space doesn’t actually overlook the rest of Shanghai).
- The 85th-floor infinity pool is literally on top of the world. Since it costs a whopping RMB500 (US$80) for outside guests to try, it’s usually devoid of crowds so you can often swim in near solitude.
Things to Know
- Interior designer Tony Chi — who has worked with chefs Alain Ducasse and Wolfgang Puck — gave the hotel a sleek, Zen vibe with gray, cream and chocolate-brown hues and lots of dark wood. But it stays interesting with hidden doors and playful art, like Beijing artist Gao Xiaowu’s three bald porcelain figures who are ready with a smile and bow when you get off the lobby elevator.
- Service here is personalized, which can’t be said of all luxury hotels in China. Since the hotel has a limited amount of rooms and is staffed by personal butlers and chefs, special requests such as a freshly drawn bath with rose petals are easily executed.
- For practical business travelers, the Shanghai hotel’s business center is conveniently located adjacent to the lobby and open 24 hours with extensive services such as international and domestic courier delivery (and small touches like Post-its).
- Make a spa appointment at the luxury hotel’s Water’s Edge, Shanghai. Its smaller size means the service more personalized and the experience more intimate. The Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star spa offers treatments like The Complete Reset, which brings your body to a state of equilibrium with aromatherapy inhalations of soothing mint and lavender essential oils and a massage focusing on the shoulder, neck and hip areas.
The Rooms
- The minimalist guest rooms at Park Hyatt Shanghai seem sparse at first glance, but they are intentionally designed like Japanese hotel rooms, using every inch of space carefully.
- Because of the unique spacing between rooms due to the location atop the Shanghai World Financial Center, guest rooms have corners and nooks that a normal, 600-room hotel building would not provide.
- Powder rooms are tucked away in suites, and bathrooms aren’t directly adjacent to the bedroom.
- The interior design matches the rest of the sleek Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel: It’s filled with grays and white with accents like a lacquered wall, marble countertops and contemporary artwork.
- All in all, the effect is both aesthetically and experientially pleasing. No room feels cramped. Additionally, each room utilizes the view to the maximum with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking either downtown or the new Pudong area.
The Restaurants
- Park Hyatt Shanghai has four restaurants on its premises. You’ll find Pantry (the all-day dining option), Dining Room, 100 Century Avenue and the Chef’s Table (the most exclusive of the bunch). Pantry is a casual, buffet-style restaurant good for dining with families.
- Unlike other hotel buffets, though, the food is constantly refreshed (don’t miss the housemade Austrian potato salad) and many items are carved in front of you. There also is an extensive menu of dishes that are delivered to your table, including Wagyu beef and duck consommé.
- The Dining Room, attached to Pantry, has a more formal setting and serves European-influenced comfort food. Upstairs at 100 Century Avenue, nosh on freshly sliced sashimi and steamed specialties and take in an incredible view and lively atmosphere.
- The Chef’s Table is a private room where executive chef Gerhard Passrugger prepares a handcrafted menu for select groups of no more than a dozen. But this isn’t merely an add-on room; the kitchen is a full-size space, complete with an island, and eating at the Chef’s Table includes a private wine cellar and Blu-ray projector screen. It’s a luxuriant experience all around.
- There are four bars at Park Hyatt Shanghai: Music Room (with sweeping city views), Shanghai Lounge (for romance), the Living Room (more causal), and a bar on the 87th floor (best for business).
Getting There
