Shanghai chic has even caught on at Hong Kong's venerable old dame, the Peninsula.
The hotel has converted a corner of its basement previously rented out for retail purposes into an art deco bar called Salon de Ning. The official opening is Saturday next week, but the bar has been hosting a series of private previews this week including a media cocktail reception on Tuesday, a soiree with website Dim Sum & Then Some on Wednesday and an exclusive drinks night for the Quintessentially concierge service tonight. The concept behind the bar is the imagined lounge of a 1930s Shanghainese female bon vivant who enjoys throwing lavish parties and gatherings. It is filled with the souvenirs and mementos she would have collected on all her travels.
Each themed area also has its own decor, from a luxury opium den called the boudoir room, to the safari motif of l'Afrique room, to a lodge vibe created for the ski room. Imagine the Shanghai Tang store crossed with Indiana Jones' study.
'The original concept of Salon de Ning was developed by Peter Borer, the director and chief operating officer of Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels. Mr Borer was general manager at the Peninsula from 1994 to 1999,' a publicist told us. 'Madame Ning is a fictitious character - a celebrated socialite, avid world traveller and international hostess who presided over salons in her stylish and eclectic residences around the world.'
In short, it's every tourist's stereotype of the exotic Far East come to life and served up with rose champagne.