What can you expect when China’s richest man creates a signature “ultra-luxury” hotel? Check in at Wanda Reign on the Bund and prepare for jaws to drop. Having opened more than 100 hotels in the past four years, real estate tycoon Wang Jianlin is said to have dropped half a billion dollars on his Shanghai flagship. The Art Deco diva is awash in precious marbles and jades, with custom contemporary artworks and funky sculptures by famed Chinese artists adding a colorful pop of China cool to match the hotel’s Louboutin-sporting millennial clientele. The 193 rooms and suites are lined with mahogany-burl and silk-embroidered walls offset by million-dollar views of the Bund and Pudong riverfronts, while splashy marble bathrooms feature gold claw-foot tubs, Bisazza mosaics, and under-floor heating. Unsurprisingly, technology is cutting edge, from the B&O TVs to digital door peepholes and even massage chairs in the suites. A spa, high-tech KTV rooms, and cigar lounge are exclusively for club members, but the Technogym and LED-lit pool are open to all. Dining options include whimsical Japanese restaurant HE (book the window-front highchairs for two) and French fine-dining at Marc, the first China restaurant for Michelin-awarded Burgundy chef Marc Meneau. The latter also boasts one of the Bund’s finest alfresco terraces—a seductive spot to toast Shanghai’s high life. (86-21/5368-8888; wandahotels.com; doubles from US$445).
This article originally appeared in the December 2016/January 2017 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“The Luxe List 2016: Wanda Reign on the Bund”).