Just over three years ago I visited Hong Kong to start the process of relocating to Shanghai, and had the fortunate experience of staying at a newly-opened hotel: the JIA. Designed by Philippe Starck and being the first boutique hotel in Hong Kong, the JIA was a breath of fresh air in a city whose hotels I found mundane, sterile, and underwhelming. The staff there excitedly spoke of their next expansion: a soon-to-be-opened JIA in Shanghai.


Turns out that "soon" meant 3-something years of waiting for the JIA concept to arrive in Shanghai -- a blend of hotel, luxury residence and playful irreverence -- and we were interested to see how it fared in the journey.

Housed in a beautiful 1920's-era stone building on Nanjing Xi Lu, the hotel is marked by a very small "JIA" sign, more like a name plate on a house. Very apparent are two, dark tinted glass entry doors. Inside, the spacious lobby feels like you've entered into a very of-the-moment-yet-welcoming art installation and quite notable were several seating areas integrated into the art. Over the course of our stay we saw more than a few people working and meeting in this interactive space.

We went to settle in the room -- in this case a suite -- that can best be described as my dream apartment and one of the best designed hotel rooms I've stayed in. At 85 sqm, it was one very large living room with a separate bedroom and bathroom. The decor features wood in several different finishes, bespoke furniture that was distinctive but still welcoming, and ample places for working, relaxing, eating, drinking, and entertaining. Well selected pieces of contemporary art provided bold accents. The living room featured a small yet complete kitchen, a fully stocked bar, a dining table, and a compete home theatre system (with a 42" flat screen no less). We quickly made ourselves at home by plugging in our iPod to the in-room audio system.



Our bedroom was an oversized king bed, 300-thread count linens, plenty of closet space, and another flat screen TV. A nice touch was the wall-to-wall headboard inset with bright contemporary art prints. Adjoining was the large, well though-out bathroom -- large separate shower and bath areas, lots of countertop and storage space, all encased in very appealing ochre and gold tiles. And a continuation of the living room’s audio system.

It was luxurious and a bit decadent while still being fun and comfortable.

We went down to the lobby for a cocktail and to learn more about the hotel and its designers, Melbourne-based BURO Architects and Hecker Phelan and Guthrie Interiors. With a total of 55 rooms including two very over-the-top penthouses, a similar design and aesthetic is carried throughout. Even the "Studio" rooms (starting at 2000rmb/night) fit in a kitchen and a separate living area in their roughly 40 sqm space. Some of the rooms feature outside balconies. While we enjoyed the complementary evening wine bar, we learned that our stay also included a continental breakfast, still/sparkling water, juice, soft drinks throughout the day, and an afternoon tea service. This was a nice surprise as it kept us from raiding the mini-bar for water. There's also a business center and a small but well designed fitness centre featuring TechnoGym equipment and free weights.

For dinner, we decided to head up to second floor and try the lounge area of ISSIMO, a newly opened Italian restaurant by Salvatore Cuomo. We had eaten at and enjoyed The Kitchen, Cuomo's other restaurant in Pudong, and ISSIMO is definitely at or above this level. The space has excellent design, some of the best service we've experienced in Shanghai and very good Italian food that we'll be back for again.

Getting back to our room a bit tipsy, we appreciated that the room key didn't require endless fiddling -- a simple wave of the card opened the door. We'd brought some friends back to the room with us for a drink and found everything we needed for an impromptu party already in the room.

The overall feeling of the hotel is one of attention to detail in design, service, and amenities. It is actually design-oriented and luxurious but still feels welcoming -- almost like home -- from arrival. On waking up the next morning, we lingered in the room and felt that it would be easy to spend a little while longer in bed...

We would recommend JIA as a perfect alternative to the standard 5-star boredom and banality. Be it for a one-night splurge or a multi-week business trip, the JIA sits comfortably among the top hotels in Shanghai.

Click on the SmSh JIA venue listing for room rates or visit www.jiashanghai.com for more information.

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