Soaring above Shanghai’s formidable skyline, the Jin Mao Tower became an instant symbol of the city upon its completion.  The building’s unique silhouette remains a tourist draw to this day, a place where numerous young people TikTok themselves in front of a structure that rises 420 metres into the sky.

Visitors to the city can enjoy a view of Jin Mao Tower from the inside when staying at the splendid Grand Hyatt Shanghai.  One of several Hyatt properties in Shanghai, the Grand Hyatt is perhaps the most famous thanks to its location occupying the top 38 stories of the tower.  As expected in a five-star hotel, the rooms and suites are incredibly comfortable, the culinary experiences outstanding, and the service impeccable.  A warm welcome is extended in the vast lobby before guests ride the lifts to their lofty accommodations.  Corner rooms with floor-to-ceiling glass walls have jaw-dropping views of the city.

Dining out is one of the great pleasures in China.  Shanghai, being China’s most prosperous city, offers dining experiences at Grand Hyatt Shanghai that are similarly rich in style, flavour, and presentation.  The pinnacle of dining experiences at Grand Hyatt Shanghai is Club Jin Mao, the most exclusive restaurant within the hotel.  Located on the 86th floor, Club Jin Mao is an oasis of calm in a bustling metropolis, offering a suitable venue for the refined cuisine presented by courteous staff.  Guests staying in Club rooms and suites have access to the Grand Club Lounge, where breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening drinks and snacks are served in a quiet and exclusive sanctuary.  Grand Hyatt’s buffet restaurant, On56, offers a diverse selection of Eastern and Western dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  A drink at the Havana Bar, located on the 87th floor of the hotel, will have guests enjoying the libations and voices of excellent Cuban singers, along with the views of Shanghai’s most famous boulevard, the riverside Bund, across the river, far below.

Grand Hyatt’s location in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district makes it an ideal choice of accommodation for business travellers. Still, the area’s continued development as a destination in its own right has seen an increase in leisure travellers choosing to stay on the Pudong side of Shanghai.  The IFC mall is a shopper’s delight, located one block away from the Grand Hyatt.  Within the mall, there is access to the Lujiazui metro station, offering quick, easy, and inexpensive travel across the city on Shanghai’s immaculate and efficient metro system.  The famous French Concession, the Xintiandi shopping district, and the Shanghai Museum are easily reached on short rides.  If all the sightseeing becomes tiring, a rejuvenating spa treatment can be enjoyed back at the Grand Hyatt to soothe any aching muscles.

Cultural attractions are numerous on the Pudong side as well, including the Shanghai Museum East and its impressive collection of works in calligraphy, jade, and ceramics.  Within walking distance of the Grand Hyatt are the Museum of Art Pudong, the Aurora Art Museum, and the evocative Wu Changshuo Memorial Hall, the former home of a poet that preserves the historical architecture of a bygone era.  A ride on the metro takes visitors to the China Art Museum. This spectacular building, formerly the China Pavilion during the 2010 World Expo, now serves as a venue for temporary art exhibitions.

Now that Juneyao Air offers nonstop service from Sydney and Melbourne to Shanghai, it has never been easier to reach China’s biggest city. In this energetic metropolis, luxury accommodation and fine dining are de rigueur for the city’s wealthier inhabitants as well as its visitors.  Just as both nice rooms and nice meals are found at Grand Hyatt and, so too are they on board Juneyao Air’s 787 Dreamliners, whose Business Class seats are 22 inches (55.9cm) wide and, when opened into a fully flat bed, extend an impressive 78 inches (198cm) in length.  As of April 2025, in addition to the Australian routes, Juneyao Air operates eight nonstop intercontinental services between Shanghai Pudong and Helsinki, Athens, Manchester, and Brussels, as well as routes from Zhengzhou to Helsinki and Milan. Leveraging the fast and efficient transit services of Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Juneyao Air connects travellers to a vast network of domestic destinations across China, providing passengers with flexible and convenient options for exploring China, now a visa-free destination for citizens of Australia and many other countries.

 

 

 

By Robert La Bua – Global Travel Connoisseur

 

 

 

 

 

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