Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel

The combination of the world’s most exciting city and the world’s most over-the-top hospitality group was always going to raise eyebrows. So what have the originators of Dubai’s fantastical Burj Al Arab cooked up for Shanghai? Just the Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel, a riotously colorful neon-lit cube atop the Himalayas Center, itself an insanely futuristic mixed-use development that’s turned Pudong into a dead ringer for one of the sets from Blade Runner, and which makes Beijing’s Olympic stadium look positively neoclassical by comparison.

What draws the Jumeirah Himalayas back from the precipice is its interiors, which, in the rooms at least, show a remarkable devotion to Chinese tradition. For all the fireworks in the exterior, and the Vegas-like excess of the public spaces, the accommodations come in rather on the tasteful end of things; they’re unflaggingly luxe in their comforts and equipment, of course, but the visual style is pure contemporary Chinese classic.

The cube of the hotel surrounds an enormous cylindrical 14-story atrium, which means that some of the interior views are as dramatic as the exterior ones. And the Jumeirah’s position in the Himalayas Center means it’s about as conveniently located as they come; in addition to the hotel’s own supply of restaurants and bars, guests will have access to a shopping mall, an art museum, and easy transport links via the maglev rail station.

Travel advisory: Passport and visa requirements differ from country to country. Please check with your local authority before booking.

• 401 Rooms
• Style: Modern Design
• Atmosphere: Lively

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