by David Drake

What initially started as a county then slowly progressed to a district, Pudong is now one of the vibrant districts in Shanghai, China. Pudong is referred to as the “east bank” of Huangpu river.

Pudong is home to soaring skyscrapers and the financial center. The Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai at Pudong is situated within the heart of this booming and energetic district.

 

 

Upon entering the hotel, you will be greeted with chic, sleek, modern and elegant furnishings that is not in any way intimidating and misanthropic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The infinity pool overlooking the Shanghai skyline, together with the Flare spa, and the fitness center that runs 24 hours, are all strategically placed on the 41st floor.

 

 

 

Compared to other hotels, where the pool has strict operating hours, guests can enjoy the infinity pool privately from 11 in the evening onwards, upon request. They can delight in the colorful skylines at night while lounging in the waters. After which, they can revel in the soothing waters from the jacuzzi beside it.

 

 

 

When it comes to pampering, guests can indulge from the variety of treatments in the Flare Spa. I, for one was not disappointed. I tried their Shiatsu spa treatment and it was the best one I have ever experienced to date. The spa also came with a private shower, toilet, changing and massage rooms with views of the skylines.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The executive club lounge is located on the 35th floor. The space is conducive for business travelers who want to get some work done. The downside is, it’s not open 24 hours. I was asked to leave by 11 pm.

 

 

 

 

In their beautiful all day restaurant Camelia, guests can enjoy their Italian cuisines. I tried the smoked eel and chicken and I loved it! No other hotels that I’ve been to had ever offered eel. The hotel also has an in-house Chinese restaurant, Shàng-Xí, which serves modern Chinese cuisines.

 

 

 

 

 

Depending on your budget, there are several room options to choose from: the Junior Suite, Pearl View Junior Suite, Pearl View Club Room, City View Deluxe Room, Club Room, Pearl View Deluxe Room, Deluxe Room, Pearl Suite, Deluxe Suite, and Presidential Suite.

All rooms are designed with sophisticated and modern furnishings. An array of materials were used, including Macassar ebony wood and marble of excellent quality.

I stayed in the Pearl View Junior Suite. Interestingly, some say its name was attributed to the picture perfect view of the Oriental Pearl Radio & TV Tower. The room was rectangular with floor to ceiling glass windows providing a clear view of the skylines,  as well as the best-looking architectures which shows Shanghai’s history.

 

 

Seeing all of Shanghai below my feet from the bed was nothing short of amazing. The windows had a floor-to-ceiling corner glass exposure and tastefully decorated sliding doors to cover it from sunlight.

 

 

 

The pillows were rich and puffy. I wished there were six of them instead of four.

I was able to sleep peacefully. I felt like I was inside a floating glass ball hovering above Shanghai, mid-air. It was completely quiet as I didn’t hear the busy traffic in the streets or anybody else outside the carpeted doors.

 

Honestly speaking, I prefer windows with drapes, especially in revealing amazing views. There was also a metal guard across the windows, which prevented and limited photos to be taken.

 

 

 

I love the fact that they didn’t have a wall separating the bed from the living room which made it looked twice as big. I felt like I was living in a fishbowl, looking through the magnificence of Shanghai, all day and night.
Just like when I was in the new Century Grand Hotel, I found myself on a chair with my feet propped against the glass windows, looking down at the speeding cars at night while writing this review on my phone. Priceless.

 

The red standing lamps were marvelous and having an iPad to control the lights was fantastic. The nightstand and reading lamps were easy to turn on. The controls of the air conditioning was super easy to navigate as well as the ones on the iPad.

 

 

 

I love the carpeting although I wasn’t too hot on the colors. The reclining chair and sofa section were elegant. There was even a meet and greet chocolate calligraphy pen mixed with real calligraphy pens, which was a unique welcoming gift walking in.

 

 

The office desk was five inches lower than the table which was another plus. The wires, and extension cords can be hidden because these are stored in a special box.

Nightstand outlets were easy to find and they all worked for any adapter. Very smart. The fridge was a pull out which I thought was creative and fascinating.

 

 

There was also a gorgeous Italian coffee maker. A glass cabinet was designed for wine glasses, which lit up when you open up the doors.

The bathroom’s rectangular shape was unique. It was facing the the window that was looking down at all of Shanghai from floor to ceiling.

 

 

There was a makeup table with lights, which I rarely see in other hotel master bathrooms. The sink had two faucets with a built-in TV in the mirror. The large bathtub was an old regal white marble.

 

 

Lorenzo Villoresi Firenze is their new shower accessory. The white bottle design with silver letters was very easy to read in the shower. The shampoo easily massaged my hair and the conditioner certainly made my hair a lot softer. I wish they had left more than one set upon arrival.

The closet was openly exposed in the bathroom. It prevented me from inviting guests as I would be embarrassed for them to see my untidy closet. Especially if you’re ‘busy’ inside the toilet, since the sounds echoes throughout the room.

The shower and toilet were conveniently large. However, guests would have to walk in and close the respective doors since they don’t really have any privacy.

Consequently, walking into the bathroom with all my shirts, underwear and entire luggage for everyone to see made me very uncomfortable.

This was the only corner suite with this kind of layout. All other suites had a separate closet. Still, I would gladly take this room again because it had the best views.

 

 

When it comes to service, the hotel staff was very attentive from the moment you walked inside the lobby. They were always aware of your needs.

Room deliveries only took around 10 minutes or less and the staff were exceptionally polite. In one instance, I had misplaced my battery and they quickly found it and brought it back to my room.

Whenever I request for towels, they handled it very quickly albeit having some challenges conversing in English. The challenge was when you call for room service. It was bit difficult to request things. Of course, I’m a New Yorker and I speak much faster than normal.

 

 

Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai at Pudong is a luxury hotel that has a certain pull to all kinds of guests. It’s proximity to the new and old Shanghai, stylish yet homey interiors, beautiful room layout and priceless panoramic views made such a strong impression on me, that I would definitely come back in a heartbeat.

 

Here is a short tour of the  room:

 

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNcahsKvehS36O74FegiBwjJDvNIVjBgYBvBW1a5XaUEzx-HiUDIw_U2e9RZxRqyg/photo/AF1QipN9KpIsdvqWsvCAN5mSBgp1e996O74XMNe3ghbL?key=SVpqWFZYVFRIZ3FKUmZsbE5WaXNpWU54Nmp3NnlB

 

HOTEL INFO:

 

HOTEL NAME	Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai at Pudong
COMPANY	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
WEBSITE	http://www.fourseasons.com/pudong
ADDRESS	210 Century Avenue, 200120 Pudong District Shanghai, China
EMAIL
TEL NO	8621 2036 8888

 

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David Drake is the Chairman of LDJ Capital, a multi-family office; Victoria Partners, a 300 family office network; LDJ Real Estate Group and  Drake Hospitality Group; and The Soho Loft Media Group with divisions Victoria Global Communications,Times Impact Publications, and The Soho Loft Conferences. Reach him directly at [email protected].

 

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