The Bund has become a playground for international luxury hotels, and Les Suites Orient is among the area's finest. Run by Taiwan's Les Suites Hotels group, it doesn't boast a reputation as prominent as Waldorf Astoria or The Peninsula, but the oriental take on the interior design and intimate atmosphere here will ensure guests have a very pleasant stay in Shanghai's most famous district.
The reception area boasts traditional paintings, vintage bric-a-brac and a piano reputedly from the 1873 Vienna International Exposition.
The shelves in the second-floor lounge, meanwhile, are decorated with rusty antique clocks and radios, making for an interesting contrast to the hotel's simple, elegant design.
The building houses 168 suites and guestrooms, all offering spectacular views of the majestic river and sprawling city. For the very best vistas, opt for the Bund Suite or one of the Bund Deluxe rooms. There's nothing quite like relaxing in the bathtub next to the window facing the Huangpu River after a busy day.
The second-floor Cigar Bar is the only smoking area in the hotel. Business meetings can be arranged in three multifunction spaces on the second and third floors.
Across the street is the busy Jinling Dong Road Ferry Terminal. Buy a ticket for 2 yuan, hop on a boat and lay back for an enjoyable 10-minute ride to the throbbing Pudong business district.