Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel Shanghai

Character and identity

A 401-room statement hotel in Pudong, directly opposite the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, housed in an Arata Isozaki building that reads as a giant red sparkling cube by night and, in part, as a sculpted boulder inspired by a piece of jade. The aesthetic is Ming-meets-modernist throughout, anchored by a 40-foot lobby that splices tiki bar with ancestral hall, walls of a thousand backlit Chinese characters, an LED ceiling, and the owner's Chinese art collection on display. Expect refined restaurants, a cocktail lounge, indoor pool, and full spa.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The reason to book here is the building itself: an Isozaki landmark with a lobby that genuinely justifies a detour, paired with a Pudong location that makes sense if your trip orbits the Expo Centre. Spend the money if you're attending a fair or you care about contemporary Chinese design; otherwise a Bund or former French Concession address will serve you better.