World hotel of the month
Sadly, there's no hotel on the moon - yet! But in the meantime, high-fliers may like to book a stay at the newly opened Park Hyatt Shanghai. Allow us to explain... the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre (SWFC), situated in the heart of the city's business district, is one of the world's tallest buildings. The hotel stretches from the 79th to 93rd floors - which makes it the highest hotel in the world.
But the Park Hyatt Shanghai experience starts in the ground floor courtyard. Guests are led through to elevator 'cabins' that whisk them up a giddy 87 floors to the reception chamber, with its living room, tea salon, dining room and intimate bar.
Two floors below, there's a water temple, infinity pool, t'ai chi courtyard and wellness studio. And floors 91 to 93 are dedicated to Shanghai's ultimate wining and dining destination. A super-stylish restaurant features show kitchens and floor-to-ceiling windows, so you can enjoy the spectacular views across the city while you eat. There are also two bars - a Western bar featuring live music, and a cosy Chinese-style bar.
Needless to say, the hotel's 174 guest rooms have been decked out in sumptuous detail, too. Features include: walk-in dressing rooms with front and back mirrors; DVD players; broadband; flat-screen plasma TVs; and coffee machines. However, our favourite decadent detail is the second plasma TV embedded in the bathroom mirror.
The hotel's interiors were created by award-winning New York-based designer Tony Chi. His vision was to create a sophisticated modern Chinese residence, designed with respect to traditional Chinese geometry and architecture while providing all the comforts of a stately home - and we think he has well and truly succeeded!
Now, all that luxury doesn't come cheap: the standard rate for a king-size room currently works out at about £525. Eek! But don't despair: special rates are often available and you may get a much better deal if you stay at the hotel as part of a package tour. Find out more at www.hyatt.com or call 0845 888 1234.
