Travellers' Checks | Las Vegas’ famous Bellagio opens in Shanghai – minus the casino, but with all the glitz of its namesake
Built on the site of the former Shanghai No 1 People’s Hospital, it’s not surprising that the hotel wants to keep its hospice connections quiet
The Bellagio Shanghai is a sister hotel to the famously gaudy Bellagio Las Vegas, and is promising guests a similar experience – but with the notable absence of a casino. The striking new property is built on the site of the Shanghai No 1 People’s Hospital, which was demolished in 2010.
This spot was originally occupied by the Shanghai General Hospital, which was opened in the 1870s and grew through to the 1930s into a cluster of lovely buildings of various European styles. Surprisingly, one still survives, and is now incorporated into the Bellagio as a Chinese restaurant called Mansion on One, though the hotel refers to it only as “a 1920s historical building” (perhaps not surprisingly, no hospital connections are mentioned on its website or in press materials). The 162-room Bellagio Shanghai was originally announced in 2012 for a 2015 opening. It eventually soft-opened this year, with a grand opening last month.