TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / APRIL 2018 73
Seems the joint developers of new
luxury-lifestyle complex HKRI
Taikoo Hui were laser-focused on
hospitality with personality,
because they’ve each plucked the
most luminous brands from their
portfolios: in addition to The
Middle House, this new mini-
district in Jing’an also boasts The
Sukhothai Shanghai. The original
hotel named after the ancient Thai
capital is lush and resort-style in
the middle of Bangkok, and the use
of traditional art and design
elements like the chedi, or stupa,
create a living-museum feel. The
second location—from Shanghai-
based architects Neri&Hu, who
purposefully refer to themselves
as “Asian designers”—promises
an aesthetic that similarly invokesTHE SUKHOTHAI
SHANGHAI
elements—a thought process the
hotel’s award-winning designer
Piero Lissoni brought to the
spacious, minimalist, Chinese-
accented interiors as well. The
yoga classes by Lululemon, the
heated indoor pool and the
complimentary in-room maxi-bar
speak to today’s generation of
have-it-all travelers. Devotees of
the original Upper House in Hong
Kong can look forward to another
seasonal-European Café Gray
Deluxe on site, and a similar
calming nouveau-Zen aesthetic
throughout the whole property.
themiddlehousehotel.com; doubles
from RMB2,850.
its home city, amid a backdrop of
minimalism. The five dining
venues include haute-Italian La
Scala, helmed by Michelin-starred
chef Theodor Falser, and Zuk Bar,
a street-level watering hole
serving oh-so-on-trend Nordic
small plates. The Southeast Asian
therapies at The Retreat Spa
provide an antidote to the din of
the bustling Chinese megacity.sukhothaishanghai.com; doubles
from RMB2,500.Three looks at a suite in
The Sukhothai Shanghai.Bulgari Hotel Shanghai
Taking the century-old Shanghai Chamber of
Commerce as its centerpiece, the Bulgari,
which is set to open this spring overlooking
The Bund and Pudong, will be channeling an
Italian estate with its Edenic setting amid
neighboring art galleries and heritage
buildings. The cabanas and DJs at rooftop
bar La Terrazza will conjure resort life. But
the real masterstroke will be the massive
2,000-square-meter garden-ensconced spa,
where amenities will include vitality pools, a
men’s barber shop, and two couple’s suites.
bulgarihotels.com; prices not yet available.