Nick Walton steps back in time, to Shanghai’s heyday with a night at the new Fairmont Peace Hotel.

Background

One of Asia’s most iconic hotels, the Peace Hotel has been a beloved landmark on Shanghai’s Bund since the 1930s, and regularly welcomed celebrities, politicians, and diplomats into its lavish suites and world class restaurants. Re-opened after a multi-million dollar renovation, the Fairmont Peace Hotel joins other new icons as the Bund enjoys its renaissance.

Check-In

I arrived by hotel car at the Nanjing Road entrance. Unlike other hotels in the area, the Peace Hotel’s main entrance is not its grandest feature. However porters fought through the crowds of tourists with my luggage in tow and I was quickly on my way up to the Fairmont Gold Lounge, the hotel’s executive-level lounge. The space is well appointed and well-staffed by some of the friendliest and best-trained concierges I’ve come across in China, and is a joy to visit, although technological breakdowns meant there was no wireless access during my stay. The lounge offers snacks throughout the day, cocktails at sundown, and brilliant breakfasts and makes for a great spot for small meetings.

The Room

The Fairmont offers a host of Art Deco-inspired guest rooms in a range of configurations but for a true treat, you can’t go past one of the famed Nine Nations suites. My room, the German Suite, number 519, was as much elegant boudoir as a hotel guest room; decked out in dark timber and exquisite furnishings, the main living room, which comes with an ample workspace and fireplace, leads to a regal dining room with river views and room for eight.

The bedroom is dominated by a massive bed in gleaming timber, while the bathroom was one of the best I’ve seen, with double vanities, an over-sized shower with rain shower head, and a clawfoot bathtub big enough for a baby elephant. A large dressing room/walk-in wardrobe meant the bedroom never became cluttered with luggage. Of course, all the mod cons are also present, including a Bose sound system, high-speed internet, a Blu-ray DVD player, iPod docking station, and a 42-inch flat-screen television.

The Fitness Centre

I’m a big fan of hotel pools; there are few places better after a long day of meetings in a strange city than the tranquility of a dip and the Peace Hotel’s didn’t disappoint. The indoor pool, lit by skylights, is part of a comprehensive fitness centre that features a full team of instructors, modern equipment and a Fitness Centre Studio dedicated to a host of activities, from pilates to yoga (though the early morning yoga sessions on the hotel roof are also to be recommended). Fairmont’s luxury spa brand Willow Stream is also on hand to pummel and pamper visitors into submission with a host of indulgent spa rituals and treatments.

Dining

Fairmont has applied its innovative Lifestyle Cuisine dishes to a host of new restaurants at the new Peace Hotel, including the Cathay Room, a modern incarnation of one of the city’s most esteemed eateries. Be sure to stop in for a fine dining experience unlike anywhere else on the Bund; the views are to die for, the service crisp and genuine, and the cuisine innovative and satisfying. Finish up your night downstairs in the Jazz Bar, themed on the private clubs of the 1920s and 30s, and home to rising star Theo Croker. This spot is dynamite, especially on weekends, so don’t head here if you’re looking for a quiet drink and even for in-house guests it’s wise to book in advance.

Pros & Cons

The new Fairmont Peace Hotel is an elegant, tasteful recreation of one of Asia’s Grand Dame hotels. The only fault I found was with the doormen, who were typically too busy chatting with their tout friends (who would invariably fall on you with rather dubious entertainment suggestions as soon as you left the lobby) to be of any real use. But once you’ve run the gauntlet you enter a sense of tranquility that has remained through the years in the hotel’s hallowed halls.

20 Nanjing Road East, Shanghai, China, Tel: +86 21 6321 6888; www.fairmont.com

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