New 'Urban Resort' Hotel to Open in Shanghai

The PuLi Hotel and Spa, a luxury “urban resort” in Shanghai is on schedule to open mid 2008. The new hotel is centrally located between famous Nanjing West Road and YanAn Road, at the very heart of Shanghai’s business, shopping, sightseeing and entertainment district. The hotel, which looks over the greenery of JinAn Park, is conveniently adjacent to a new multi-use development ‘Park Place’.

The 22 floors, which house 209 rooms and 20 suites, will offer 24-hour butler service and in-room dining as well as 24-hour concierge, laundry and valet services.

In addition to standard facilities in other five-star hotels, such as full-size dressing mirrors, rainforest shower cubicles and safety boxes, all rooms will be equipped with flat screen LCD TVs, Hi-Fi systems, DVD players, MP3 docking ports, 4-in-1 printers, espresso machines, custom-designed mattresses and oversized feather down pillows and duvets.

The guestrooms, which range from 50sqm to 150 sqm in size, will also feature complimentary wireless broadband internet access, and have bathtubs that offer uninterrupted and dramatic views across JingAn Park and the skyline of Shanghai. An extensive range of personal care products will be available in all rooms.

On the ground floor and off the lobby, the 32-meter “Long Bar” nestles between The Lobby, the water courtyard, “The Library” and “The Wine Cellar”.

The Lounge and the hotel’s signature restaurant of 120 seats, named “Jing’An”, are located on the second floor, also boasting impressive views across the park.

The restaurant’s extensive breakfast options will place strong emphasis on nutritional value, with only organic, honed or homemade products featured in the selection of Continental, American Buffet, Japanese, Chinese and a la carte breakfast choices.

Lunch and dinner will comprise a Western menu, complemented by a selection of Asian favorites. The modular nature of the menu will enable guests to continuously explore new tastes and textures by combining selections of the available dishes that use different preparation and cooking methods, to provide, essentially, their own tailor-made meal.

On level three of the hotel is the Wellness Center, consisting of a superbly equipped state of the art gym of 200 sqm, a sauna, steam room and Jacuzzi and the hotel’s Spa, operated by the award-winning Anantara group. Five treatment suites fully equipped with steam and shower rooms are available for individuals or couples.

A generous lap infinity pool with views across the park completes the comprehensive spa and wellness offering of the hotel.

Level 22 houses “The Club”, the hotel’s exclusive executive lounge of 50 seats, where Club Floor guests will be offered an exclusive space for breakfast, refreshments throughout the day, to meet or simply enjoy a refuge of relaxation and tranquility.

The project’s architectural firm, Kume Sekkei, was selected by Park Place for its commitment to environmental sustainability in building design. Specifications include a triple-glazed exterior that utilizes the latest technology in low-emission glass in order to reduce noise, heat and ultra-violet intrusion. Solar panels gather energy from the southern façade, with internal temperatures closely monitored and adjusted in order to minimize energy consumption.

Renowned Indonesian design firm Jaya & Associates., in collaboration with Layan Design Group, Melbourne, were enlisted to execute the interior design of the hotel’s public areas and guestrooms. Working to a mandate that requires the beautiful surroundings of JingAn Park to be an integral part of the design consideration, the result is an elegant and understated space with contemporary Asian accents that homogenously blends natural tones and textures for a sophisticated urban resort experience.

The hotel will be managed by Urban Resort Concepts (URC), a Hong-Kong based hotel Management Company recently founded by seasoned hoteliers with extensive knowledge and experience in managing some of the world’s most renowned luxury hotels. 

Commenting on the new property, John G. Laing, Managing Director of URC said, “The PuLi Hotel and Spa will be truly unique. As Shanghai’s first urban resort, and on the back of its strong conceptual principals, the guest experience at the hotel promises to reach out to the great number of guests that want a different, authentic but quintessentially contemporary and luxurious experience during their stay in Shanghai.”

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