Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai

Even in Bvlgari’s collection of super chic boltholes, the Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai is something special. There is the location of the hotel, of course, on the banks of the Suzhou Creek, and right next to the former Chinese Chamber of Commerce that now houses one of its restaurants… But the prime real estate is not what you’ll really remember of this Bvlgari outpost. You’ll remember the eye-wateringly swanky rooms and public spaces, with teak, bronze, black granite, and creamy Navona travertine wherever you look. Photographs of Bvlgari gems also abound (no surprises there), while off the lobby, the Il Cioccolato boutique is home to some gems of its own. The hotel is also the one to pick for the largest suite in town, and some of the dramatic views of the Shanghai cityscape from the cabanas and bar of the rooftop terrace. A level below, the 47th-floor Il Ristorante enjoys city vistas just as dizzying, and the savoir-faire of Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito who takes care of matching the dining experience to the view outside. Yet the real starlet here, the resident diva, is the foxy spa with its riverside location and 25-meter jade-green pool surrounded by statuesque columns… Modeled to recall a Roman bath, it’s where the brand’s Italian roots really show, and there is nothing quite like it in the city.