It’s the city of the future, Shanghai — lucky, then, that its hotels, as a class, have quickly joined the ranks of the best in the world. For a little evidence supporting that proposition one need look no further than the PuLi Hotel and Spa. Where one might expect another outpost of the established big-luxury chains, we find the flagship of a new group, the prosaically named Urban Resort Concepts — they’re saving the poetry, it seems, for the product itself.

A cultural pavilion, called “Nan Shufang,” offers guests an introduction to traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting, while the new forest park provides total immersion in nature. Meanwhile the restaurants and bars include Chinese, Japanese, and Italian options, as well as a cocktail bar and a cigar lounge. The spa is as extravagant as you’d expect, comprising no fewer than ten treatment rooms, a Russian banya, a Moroccan hammam, indoor and outdoor pools, and facilities for yoga and pilates in addition to a well-equipped gym. What’s special about Amanyangyun is what’s special about all the Aman hotels: they’re totally familiar and yet totally surprising at the same time.

The Edition hotels combine the expertise of Ian Schrager, the original boutique hotelier, and hospitality giant Marriott International. The Edition Shanghai also draws in Ritz-Carlton, for an added measure of extravagant luxury, and the ultra-stylish local design team Neri & Hu. The rooms are chic and state-of-the-art, many with views of the Bund, and the public spaces, in classic Schrager style, are given top billing: there are five bars, including two on the rooftop, as well as a full-scale nightclub, and the restaurants include Japanese and Cantonese options as well as a modern British restaurant by the Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton.

The Regent Shanghai Pudong’s rooms and suites are Art Deco in their inspiration, a stylistic sweet spot between tradition and modernity. Full-length windows are universal and make for dramatic vistas, and while the aesthetic contains retro elements, the comforts and conveniences are state-of-the-art.
Same goes for the spa and wellness center, set on the hotel’s top floor, affording astonishing views from its indoor pool. Nor are the restaurants and bars anything less than impressive; offerings include Italian at Camelia and Japanese at Mi Teppanyaki, as well as a frankly extravagant Cantonese restaurant, Shàng-Xí, spread across five private dining rooms.