Located in Lujiazui on the Pudong side of Shanghai, Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai takes the business of luxury accommodation very seriously so that its guests don’t have to. The large property has 696 rooms, 70 of which are suites. The amiable staff and the sense of community they engender belie the hotel’s formidable size; guests are made to feel as if they are staying with friends.

Kempinski properties worldwide are always at the top of their game in providing comfortable accommodation, personalised service, and highly satisfactory stays.  The company takes particular pride in its culinary offerings, so it comes as no surprise that, in a city where eating well is a favourite pastime, Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai has several superb dining venues where you can enjoy top-quality meals throughout the day.  The hotel’s Suntime Century restaurant serves Cantonese cuisine exquisitely prepared and served.

In contrast, the Albero Spanish restaurant brings the best of Iberico ham, manchego cheese, and a specially blended sangria to the table among the many other dishes prepared by the talented chef.  It is rare to find Spanish cuisine in Asia, which makes Albero all the more special.  Wildly popular is Italian food; Kempinski’s Italian restaurant Acqua completes the set of fine-dining venues within the hotel.  Less formal is Elements, the buffet restaurant with an enormous selection of Eastern and Western foods at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  The executive lounge provides a quiet retreat for guests in club rooms where light meals and drinks are served throughout the day.  To finish the night on a high note, enjoy a nightcap in the Havana Bar, where a pair of talented Cuban singers enliven the vibe with their enthusiastic performances.

Lujiazui is Shanghai’s financial district, yet the area has become a more multifaceted destination than a commercial centre.  Grand Kempinski Hotel Shanghai is just half a block from the Shanghai Ocean Aquarium, an attraction popular with families, as is the famous Oriental Pearl Tower next to it.  The tower was a futuristic marvel when it opened in 1994 and remains the immediately recognisable city symbol.  However, another sight worth seeing is far less visible on the Shanghai skyline.  The beautiful Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall is also close to the Kempinski.   The calligraphy scrolls and flower paintings on display are admirable enough, being taken from the former home of a revered Chinese poet. However, the house is pretty impressive in terms of preserving traditional Chinese architecture.

Thanks to the Chinese government’s removal of visa requirements for Australian citizens staying less than 30 days, it has become much easier to enjoy all that Shanghai and China offer.  Making it easier still are Juneyao Air‘s nonstop services from Sydney and Melbourne to Shanghai and the airline’s vast domestic network connecting Shanghai’s Pudong Airport with destinations across China and beyond to some of the most popular European destinations for Australian travellers.  Now that it is possible to enter China without a visa, Shanghai makes an interesting stopover city for Australian travellers heading to European destinations such as Greece and the UK, both countries linked to Shanghai with Juneyao Air’s nonstop service.

 

 

 

by Robert La Bua – Global Travel Connoisseur

 

 

 

 

 

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