China’s Alila Shanghai hotel is a stylish hub of idle tranquillity

Alila’s first urban resort in Greater China has landed in Shanghai, taking over the skyscraper premises from the former Four Seasons with a handsome makeover by local studio Level Line Design.

Alila Shanghai opens its doors

Even for regulars to the city, there are any number of reasons to check in, not least for the 186-room hotel’s private access to Zhangyuan, a lively complex of restored shikumen, or lane houses, and rugged grey-stoned East-meets-West architecture dating back to the late 19th century – all progressively restored and reimagined into a lifestyle hub of restaurants, boutiques, galleries and, eventually, residences.

Unlike the low-slung profile of Alila Wuzhen – the brand’s other China property, located in a heritage water town in Zhejiang province – a vertical real estate is the name of the game in Shanghai. Guest rooms cascade upwards from the 12th to 17th and 27th to 39th floors, with a 2,626 sqft penthouse suite that commands the 39th floor like a glass-and-marble watchtower over the city’s sprawl.

After the cacophonic bustle of Shanghai, the hotel’s interiors are serene, the cocoon-like mood reinforced by walls of rough-hewn stone, vaulted ceilings, woven metallic panels and water features inspired by landscape portraits of the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties.

The result is a relaxing aerie that balances soft, scattered styles with precise, rigid geometries – a moment best experienced in the green-hued, wood and stone-lined spa whose organic, plant-based treatments are anchored with therapeutic water treatments including a hydrotherapy pool and Turkish bath.

The culinary programme includes a Japanese BBQ courtyard restaurant on the ground floor, a soigné tea house, and a rooftop bar with views over Zhangyuan.

Meanwhile, at 500 Weihai Road, which also happens to be the hotel’s street address, executive chef Scott Bao approaches Shanghainese cuisine like a precision instrument whilst harnessing ingredients harvested from the rooftop organic garden, as well as local producers. His deep-fried Mandarin fish is a calculated deconstruction of tradition that eschews the usual massive 1.5kg specimen in favour of a 300g portion that guarantees optimal flavour and portion control. The sauce? Organic tomatoes from local farms – because provenance matters.

Bao’s crispy chicken tells a similar story in which free-range birds marinated in ginger, garlic and spices proceed through a three-step cooking ritual involving first slow-cooking then air-drying, before they’re finished with a dousing of heated oil to achieve that perfect balance of crispiness and juicy succulence.

Alila’s next move? Dong’ao Island resort in Zhuhai in southern Guangdong province later this year. Stay tuned.

Alila Shanghai is located at 500 Weihai Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai, China; alilahotels.com. Rates: from RMB2,200.