What is it? The Pudong Shangri-La, which recently became Shanghai's largest five-star hotel thanks to the opening of the 36-floor, 375-room Tower 2.
Luxe or less than? Incontrovertibly luxurious. Even the smallest rooms cover about 485 square feet; the premier rooms, which the hotel claims are 'the most spacious in Shanghai', are an agoraphobic's nightmare. Premier rooms look down onto The Bund, directly across the Huangpu River, and, like the rest of the new tower's accommodation, have Wi-fi and broadband internet access, fax machines and satellite television. There is even a butler call button.
What's on the menu? What would you like? Fook Lam Moon, a branch of the famed Hong Kong Cantonese restaurant, is here. So is a clutch of other stylish eateries. Super-cool Nadaman, decked out by Japanese design guru Super Potato, serves exquisite Japanese dishes in an urbane setting; the Sushi Bar offers exactly that and Moroccan, Indian and western cuisines, among others, are also yours for the ordering.
What else is there to do? You can tick off the usual diversions - Jacuzzis, a sauna, two swimming pools, a tennis court, a gym - but perhaps the finest refuge for the stress refugee is another bar/restaurant: Jade on 36, positioned on the hotel's loftiest perch. It pretentiously promises a 'cuisine de voyage' and 'a meal that will change the way you think about food'. Chef de cuisine Paul Pairet recommends Jade's tasting menus, at least for starters. The bar, which, along with the dining area, represents designer Adam D. Tihany's 'futuristic interpretation of Chinese traditions', is part retro space-age lounge and is reached through a revolving electronic door. The views are the city's most dazzling.
Anything else we should know? Hotel spas are not a fad, they're here to stay, so if you're going to install one you might as well push the boat out. Shangri-La has pushed its figurative boat out as far as
the Himalayas with Chi Spas. They are being introduced at selected hotels and Shanghai's is the first in China.