TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / APRIL 2018 69
FROM FAR LEFT:
The historic water
tower at the heart
of Capella
Shanghai; the
hotel’s sweet and
tailored service
personified; in the
lounge room of a
shikumen villa;
chef Romain
Chapel’s duck foie
gras terrine with
Dulcey chocolate-
autumn chutney
and red cabbage
jelly; the bright
dining room of Le
Comptoir de Pierre
Gagnaire.Yet, despite obvious hardships, these gated
enclaves were also vibrant communities. So it’s
little surprise that as one of the few caretakers
left of shikumen—by some estimates, 4 million
people lived in lilong through the 1950s, with
government housing policies from the 1990s
winnowing that number to around 200,000
today—Capella feels driven to preserve the
shared neighborhood feel while modernizing
the structures, creating senses of peace and
privacy while also fulfilling their mission as a
communal space. Regenerating the inner
sanctum (adding indoor plumbing, for a start)
while preserving the outer ecosystem (keeping
sections open for public events). It’s an urban
corollary of the fairytale preservation project
the new Amanyangyun has pulled off 30
minutes outside of Shanghai (see “A Moving
Endeavor,” in our March 2018 issue).
Along Capella’s 22 mews are 55 vertical
suites, of one to three bedrooms, encased
behind gated gardens. First built by a French
developer in the 1930s for expats and traders,
they were given new interiors by renowned
Indonesian designer Jaya Ibrahim in his last
project before he died. The ground floor holds a
study and powder room, up a flight is the den
and bar; it’s half a flight up to the bedroom,
and another half to the Acqua di Parma
toiletry–stocked bathroom. If you’re lucky
enough to be in Shanghai on a rare sunny day,
your brick roof deck is lovely for morning tea.
People who tend to forget their keys should
look on the bright side: running up and down
your stairwell will be the easiest 10,000 steps
per day you ever achieved. Certainly, I felt the
history and prime location of the compact
space was worth the tradeoff in convenience. I
would’ve enjoyed a monthly lease. (Note to self:
next time take a longer sabbatical and stay in
one of their 40 serviced residences.)
In fact, major props to Capella for managing
to weave that sense of high-end relaxation
throughout. Entering is like plunging into a
secret garden, with further treasures and
greater peace hidden the deeper you go.
Running the length of the property at the end
of each alley is a peaceful park space filled with
sculptures and greenery. The spa, also in a
series of refitted shikumen houses, has
managed to ensconce among its multi-level
treatment suites a salt room, a therapy pool