It’s fitting that the flashy W
brand would commandeer prime
position here in the tallest building
in Puxi, overlooking the Huangpu
River. Opened last summer, W
Shanghai—The Bund, like many
of its sister hotels, is a Technicolor
music video on steroids (the Cloud
on The Bund suite has a hanging
bed in a birdcage), but this one a
fever dream of haipai—a word
that referred a century ago to a
dramatic, opportunistic collision
in design, personality and
philosophy of East and West, old
and new. Witness the giant,
sparkly xiaolongbao pillows and
chopsticks on each bed, or the
modern Cantonese restaurant Yen
Cult favorite boutique brand The
House Collective, of Swire Hotels,
is opening its fourth property, The
Middle House, this month in
Dazhongli, one of Shanghai’s
oldest neighborhoods, on the
southern side of Nanjing Road
West. Its rounded, aluminium
louvered exteriors create a stylish,
environmentally friendly façade
that modernizes traditional
Shanghainese architecturalTWO MORE STYLISH NEW OPENINGS
W SHANGHAI
—THE BUND
THE MIDDLE
HOUSE
that also harbors a 1920s
speakeasy. Thanks to an elegant
curve of the building, most of the
374 rooms face the river, but the
best view can be had from the
outdoor pool deck of Wet Bar,
which takes in the towers of
Pudong and is a dazzling place to
dance away the day at their splash-
happy summer parties.wshanghaithebund.com; doubles
from RMB1,980.W Shanghai’s
playful pillows
and skyline
views. TOP, FROM
LEFT: Wagyu
steak at The
Kitchen Table; a
bartender
prepares an
L.D.M. cocktail
with spiced rum. Mod minimalism in
The Middle
House.Bellagio Shanghai
The first export of the flamboyant mega-
hotel synonymous with the Las Vegas Strip
is an expectedly opulent affair—though it has
increased the intimacy factor by downsizing
to only 162 rooms and suites, and for a water
feature has swapped out that famous
dancing fountain for the Suzhou River, on
whose banks it sits. The Art Deco style is
pumped up by gold and bold colors. The spa
offers acupuncture. And James Beard
Award–winner Julian Serrano brings his
Italian small-plates specialist restaurant
Lago. lhw.com; doubles from RMB2,040.COURTESY OF THE MIDDLE HOUSE