Check-In: Jumeirah Himalayas

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Location: The corner of Meihua and Fangdian Lu, just southeast of Century Park. If you're a casual tourist, this may seem a far-flung locale, but in just over two years this spot will be a mere 15-minute drive from Disneyland Shanghai. That's thinking ahead. In the mean time, The Jumeirah is banking on some of the more practical stuff, like easy airport access. It's only 35 minutes away from PVG and one metro stop away from the Maglev station at Longyang Lu. Additionally, it's right across the street from the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center, making it an ideal base for anyone in town for a convention or trade show.

Now Booking: In total, 401 rooms, including 61 suites and one presidential suite. Standard in all rooms: custom-crafted dark wood furnishings with a classical Chinese flourish, hardwood floors, a comfy day sofa, a "Chinese Scholar's desk," complimentary Wi-Fi, 42-inch hi-def LCD televisions, marble bathrooms with a free standing tub, rain shower, and twin vanities, Illy coffee machines, and premium Chinese tea sets. After that, we're mainly talking differences in size. Accommodations start with the "Deluxe" designation. These rooms are a spacious 40 sqm and generally go for around 1600rmb. Add 8 sqm and a vertiginous view of the 14-story cylindrical "Jade Atrium" and "Reflection Garden" and you've got the "Premiere" package for around 2000. Club level accommodations afford you the opportunity to spread out even more. "Executive" residences, for instance, are 101 sqm and feature a fully-equipped kitchen and living area with a 12 seat dining table, a grand master bedroom with its own bathroom. Additionally there are two powder rooms and a walk-in closet. If that still proves too small, there is always "Premier Club Suite," a palatial 115 sqm with twin and king-sized separate bedrooms and two bathrooms for around 5000rmb. As always, a 15 percent service charge applies.

Background: Since 2007, the Dubai-based chain has aggressively expanded it's footprint beyond the UAE. The Jumeirah's debut in Shanghai was originally supposed to be back in 2008 in one of those twin towers that straddle Huangpi Lu near Xintiandi. The deal soured, however. The Hyatt brand Andaz eventually scooped up the space and Jumeirah sought an opportunity across the river at the Himalayas Center, a retail center/lifestyle hub/creative center owned by the Zendai group. The hotel has been open since March 2011.

Atmosphere: Japanese architect Arata Isozaki -- also credited with the Barcelona Olympic Stadium and the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art -- has the place to be one of the most striking structures on the street, if not in the entire city. At the ground level, a grotto of stacked contoured stones looks like it has been sculpted by wind and water. This is book-ended by an intricate lattice work. Cradled atop the northern wing, the hotel glows and flashes at night like a radioactive Rubik's Cube.

Interior design comes courtesy of KCA International, the same company responsible for the interior of the famed Burj al Arab, the Jumeirah's flagship residence on the coast of Dubai. Here, though, KCA pays homage to China's timeless culture. A 16-meter high ceiling is ringed with the calligraphy of the Qianzhi Wen, or the "Thousand Character Essay," an ancient primer used to teach Chinese schoolchildren for millennia. At the center of it all is a Ming Dynasty inspired pavilion where an ensemble of musicians performs classical Chinese music.

The pageantry, however, gives way once you're in the elevator. The hotel proper is simple and, by comparison, understated. All rooms are decked out in dark wood furnishings, like a canopy bed and hardwood floors. Think classic Chinese sense of aesthetics with a contemporary Western sense of comfort.

Food and Beverage: For a la carte dining there are three options. Shang High showcases the local cuisine in a sexed-up, neo-Chinese setting. For Japanese food, there is J-Mix, specializing in fresh sushi, ramen, and teppan-yaki. Then, there is the Grill Room, a "boutique" steakhouse serving premium cuts of beef imported from Australia. For everything else, there is Arte Café & Lounge in the lobby. This is where you'll find the breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the standard hotel garden variety of international cuisines.

Amenities: There are certain expectations one has when checking into a place like this. The Jumeirah is on its way to ticking pretty much all of those boxes. There is 24-hour fitness center with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment, a 20-meter indoor swimming pool, a hot yoga studio, and tai-chi classes. And the requisite spa is slated to open in early 2012.

Who's Staying: Practical business executives with generous expense accounts and a penchant for creature comforts.