Last year was a good year for hotel openings, what with the likes of Capella, the St. Regis and W Shanghai opening up. 2018's going "hold my beer, we're doing eight this year." In immediate news, The Bellagio Shanghai is open on Suzhou Creek, Amanyangyun literally moved a village in next door, and we've got six more big names in the hospitality biz incoming. Clear some drawer space for these new monogrammed towels and little branded shampoo bottles.

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Already Open

Bellagio Shanghai

First announced in 2012 and opened in early 2018, it's a luxury hotel with a heavy Art Deco theme. Yeah, that Bellagio. It's the first branch of the storied MGM hotel brand outside North America. It's run by a joint venture called Diaoyutai MGM Hospitality, with enough investment from electronics-seller Suning to get their name on the sign, too. No, there's no casino. Regular rooms start at 2,000rmb per night, rooms over 100sqm have butlers, and the 400sqm Presidential Suite is...I mean, just look at it. Phwoar. Highlight, F&B-wise, is LAGO by Julian Serrano; small plate, contemporary Italian dining on a big outdoor terrace, with a view to Lujiazui over the Garden Bridge. *

Amanyangyun

Opened in early 2018, this hotel complex is the result of a relocation/restoration/renovation project by Aman Hotel Group. Philanthropist/entrepreneur Ma Dadong pitched the idea to relocate an entire endangered Ming-to-Qing dynasty village and surrounding forest to the outskirts of Shanghai and turn it into a resort. Watch this Blue Planet-style voice-over about the relocation processe, it's pretty interesting. The result is an 18 hectare compound of about 50 restored slash "updated" villas, suites, and high-end residences for sale. Traditional gabled roofs, covered promenades, pool courtyards and lily ponds. Rooms start at 5,000rmb per night, and are named things like "Antique Pavillion" and "Ming Courtyard Suite." The four-bedroom villas start at 60,000rmb.

Also Opening This Year (Probably)

The Middle House

Part four of Swire Hotels' "The House Collective" is going into Taikoo Hui (also by Swire), sometime in early 2018. It's 50-50 mix of suites and residences, with interiors by Milan-based architect/designer Piero Lissoni, and plenty of outdoor spaces and terraces on the mall's rooftops. Notable F&B is a branch of Hong Kong's acclaimed Cafe Grey Deluxe, a collaboration with New York-based chef Gray Kunz. *

Bulgari Hotel Shanghai

The Italian jewelers/hotel runners first Shanghai location has 80 rooms in the top 8 floors of a tower block in Suhe Creek development, set to open sometime in 2018. This chain's luxury, even for luxury hotels; it reportedly features a staggering 3-bedroom 570sqm "Bulgari Suite," which would be one of the largest in the city. Adjacent, they've refurbished the old Shanghai Chamber of Commerce building from 1916, set to hold a Chinese fine-dining joint. Their rooftop bar, La Terrazza, set on the 48th floor, with 180-degree view of Pudong, looks set to challenge the Bund venues in the "view" department from like a kilometer back. Though they've photoshopped the Lujiazui skyline in so close it looks like the hotel's built in the middleo of the Huangpu. It's not. *

Sukhothai

Sukhothai's second location after Bangkok, it's a "contemporary luxury boutique hotel" (buzzwords!) from HKRI, in their Taikoo Hui development. Projected opening is around March 2018. Directly attached to the mall's office towers, they say every room has its own mini wine cellar, which probably either means extra wine in the minibar, or you can select the vintages beforehand. The rooms look like a Swedish interior designer's wet dream. They look like Neri&Hu (The Cannery) designed them--oh they did. Notable F&B is La Scala, an Italian restaurant from Michelin-starred Theodor Falser. *

Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental

Sound a little insane-sounding. Run by InterContinental, it was announced in 2014, and appears to be on track for an opening later this year. It's 19-stories and around 400 rooms of eco-friendly hotel built into an abandoned quarry they plan to flood, putting two floors under water. Wait what? Not rendered; dinosaurs Yup. Bottom two floors are under the lake, facing into aquarium walls (probably not the lake itself). Non-subaquatic room prices should be minimum 2,000rmb per night. They're planning "hanging gardens" around the edge of the quarry, and with extreme sports like rock climbing and bungee jumping, and probably water sports. F&B-wise, there'll be an underwater restaurant, underwater. *

J-Hotel Shanghai Tower

Part of Jinjiang hotel's new luxury "J" series, J-Hotel's set to have its lobby on the 101st floor of, you guessed it, the Shanghai Tower, with guest rooms spread over floors 84-110. Beyond that, they've been very cagey with deatils. Shanghai Tower's been struggling, judging by reports that about two-thirds of it stood empty as of June last year. But if this one does happen (soon), it'll be the highest luxury hotel in the world. Suck it, Park Hyatt! Suck it, Dubai! *

The Edition Shanghai

Built in two towers behind the Bund, we've previously called Edition an "anti-hotel chain" hotel chain. It's still a "boutique hotel" by Ritz-Carlton, but it's more "hip," read, more arts-oriented, more a culture hub with 'forums' and 'studios' than a place for lonely businessmen to savage the minibar. Studio 54 founder Ian Schrager played a role in its creation. Notables F&B-wise, we're looking at a Sosharu-based Japanese izakaya and all-day dining along the lines of Berners Tavern in London. Shanghai's own Scott Melvin and Christopher Pitts are going to head up those. Slated for a March 2018 opening. ***