With 6 restaurants and bars under one roof, the choices here are considerable, which is especially helpful given its slightly removed locale. Albero is one of few fine dining Spanish restaurants in the city with updated Spanish delights served over quaint settings while Acqua is a superb Italian establishment that takes time honoured Mediterranean dishes seriously. Suntime Century is a large Chinese restaurant popular with the business crowd. Amidst the abundance of epicurean pleasures, blissful moments await at the small yet wonderful spa set at the top of the building.

A property this size tends to face challenges with its service orientation. Our check-in was not entirely smooth and there were grody episodes that could have been avoided.

Its location at the other end of Lujiazui may be a tad removed from the thick of action but what's not sexy about the location is more than compensated by the size and feeling of ampleness afforded by the layout of this grand hotel. The rooms and suites here are large and comfortably appointed, some with views that are entirely narrative of Shanghai's modern aggrandizement.