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Alila, Rosewood, Waldorf Astoria, Oh My: So Many Fancy New Hotels Coming to Shanghai

Shanghai's hospitality and hotel industry is rebounding in a crazy ambitious way after the lifting of Covid restrictions...
2023-04-12 16:00:00

Shanghai already has an insane amount of five-star hotels. Trip.com lists 133 five-star hotels in Shanghai, more than any other city in the world. New York and Rome have less than half of that. Granted, the rating system in China for hotel quality can be a bit dodgy at times -- ever hear of Beijing's seven-star hotel? -- even still, it's an impressive figure even when taken with a grain of salt.

And there's more to come.

The Hyatt Group alone has five Shanghai hotel projects in the pipeline. The Intercontinental Group lists 474 new properties planned in China. And just because your hotel doesn't have an official spin-off brand doesn't mean you can't just double up on the one that's already in town. We're getting a second Andaz, a second Waldorf Astoria, and a second Mandarin Oriental.

Read on to see all the new luxury hotels coming to town.

1000 TREES · UNBOUND COLLECTION HYATT

Phase One of the 1000 Trees project, next to M50 on Suzhou Creek, opened last year -- take a look at what we had to say here. Currently, Phase Two is under construction and is slated to include more retail spaces (even though the retail space of Phase One is still... shall we say 'not fully realized'), service apartments, and of course, a hotel, taking up the majority of the building on floors 2-12, with 260 rooms. This one is another hotel from the Hyatt Group, the first Unbound Collection in Shanghai, a concept that's known for picking more unique locations and well-designed properties. Check out this one in Yunan for example.

This one in Shanghai should open by end of this year.

ALILA

The Four Seasons hotel on Weihei Lu, next to Taiko Hui and Fengshengli, shut down on June 1, 2020, at the beginning of the Covid madness, and the building has been empty for a few years. Snapping up this prime piece of real estate, the Hyatt Group has taken over the building and has recently started construction of an Alila, their five-star hotel concept know for occupying more rural-ish locations. We wrote about the beautiful Ahn Luh in Wuzhen, which is part of the Alila concept, so we're interested to see how their idea of an "urban retreat" right in the center of town will work out.

They've reduced the number of rooms, planning 188, half of that of the original Four Seasons Hotel, which means it will be way nicer and pricier. They're also planning a "Old Shanghai style rooftop bar", so there's that.

Expect an opening later this year.

ROSEWOOD SHANGHAI

One of the most talked about new hotel projects, Rosewood, is still a few years away from opening, expected to launch in 2028. They're currently under construction in a new 320-meter, mixed-use tower designed by Sir Norman Foster, located next to the Joy City mall along Suzhou Creek. The hotel will have 200 guest rooms and suites, five restaurants and bars, to be sure, as well as their revered spa brand, Asaya. Rosewood currently only has four other properties in greater China: Rosewood Hong Kong, the always excellent Rosewood Beijing, Rosewood Sanya, and Rosewood Guangzhou.

With this one they complete the set.

ANDAZ SHANGHAI ITC

You've probably seen the huge new skyscraper slowly reaching for the heavens in Xujiahui. That's the new ITC Center from Hong Kong's Sun Hung Kai Group. Stretching up 370 meters in height, it will be Puxi's tallest building. Well, for a few years at least, until a much taller supertower opens in the north Bund. King for a day...

The hotel planned for the apex of the building comes from the Hyatt Group, and they're planning on gifting Shanghai another Andaz hotel at the location. This will be Shanghai's second, making it the only city the world with two hotels of this brand. With this one on the other side of town, make sure you check your Didi address to make sure you don't end up on The Bund.

The Andaz sequel at the new ITC Center will have 265 rooms and is slated to open next year.

WALDORF ASTORIA Qiantan

One of the most famous and storied hotel brands in the world, the second Waldorf Astoria in Shanghai is planned to be unveiled at the World Expo - Qiantan in 2025. The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai has been open since 2010 on The Bund and now the Hilton Group's top luxury brand will see double representation in this city. This one's located at Qiantan, that new area in the south of Pudong where great and ambitious things are being planned. It's located close to the newly re-opened Oriental Sports Center and is being touted as the closest hotel to the Huangpu River, less than 200 meters away from the water. Queue the press release championing breath-taking views.

Waldorf Astoria Qiantan will boast 203 luxurious guest rooms, six restaurants and bars, and the most guest rooms to have a balcony with a view of Huangpu River -- ever.

The Vignette Collection at Shanghai Snow World

Shanghai is getting the world's biggest alpine-themed indoor ski park out there in Lingan, estimated to open later this year. Because of course it is! Shanghai Snow World will include two hotels from the IHG Group: something straightforward, a 375-room Crown Plaza; and something lavish and crazy-sounding: China's first "Vignette Collection", a project that is categorized with the hotel group's luxury brand line, together with Six Senses and Indigo. These are known for their unique, boutique-ish, artistic flare, described as "one-off hotels".

The Vignette Collection will have 272 rooms -- including 16 "ski suites" with direct access to the indoor ski slopes -- and seven "ice rooms designed by ice sculptors", which will be open to visitors during the day.

These new projects will be connected within the main space of the ski resort at Shanghai Snow World. Check this out: A 224-meter rooftop cable car will connect the two hotels, giving visitors an aerial view of the ski resort and its surroundings.

Slated to open early 2024.

And EVEN More...

Six Senses will open in Jing'an District, but no opening date or further details have been made public yet.

Shanghai is getting its second Regent Hotels & Resorts. The InterContinental Hotels Group is taking over the old Seagull Hotel on The Bund, just across the Russian Consulate by the Huangpu River.

Also from the InterContinental Hotels Group is coming another Indigo Hotel at the Shanghai Dishui Lake in Lingan, estimated to open in the third quarter of 2024.

The Rocco Forte Hotel group was supposed to open a property at the West Bund but has confirmed that they pulled out of the project.

Hyatt on the Bund, iconic hotel on The Bund, has closed for "renovations". The short and curt press release, however, doesn't mention an estimated re-opening date, or if it will actually re-open with the same brand.

The Accor Group is bringing another Sofitel Shanghai at Zhuanghang's conservation forest in Fengxian District.

The Hilton Group's high end Conradbrand has taken over the now closed Le Royal Meridien in People's Square.

Shanghai is getting a second Mandarin Oriental at Qiantan, slated to open next year.

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