The Park Hyatt, Shanghai, China

A stay at The Park Hyatt Shanghai is probably not the best idea for sufferers of vertigo. Occupying the 79th to 93rd floors of the city’s new World Financial Center (SWFC) the hotel is currently the highest in the world. The building itself - at 1,614 ft - stands tall among the the multitude of skyscrapers that now define the city’s impressive skyline, east of the Huangpu River in an area known as Pudong. A far cry to a mere decade ago when the area mainly comprised farmland and the tallest building was the now familiar spire of the Oriental Pearl Tower.

And in contrast to the frenzied chaos outside, where more than 18 million people elbow their way through city life, the mood inside is significantly serene, thanks in part to New York-based firm Tony Chi & Associates who have upheld the Park Hyatt brand’s understated philosophy with a sleek interior scheme using plush leathers and elegant streamlined timber, in a low-key colour palette highlighted with thoughtful, discreet lighting. All this does little to detract from the main event - the awe-inspiring views of the city - that are framed by the building’s floor-to-ceilings glass windows.

If just being in the hotel wasn’t calming enough, there is a soothing spa with a 20 metre infinity pool followed by a Tai Chi Courtyard where daily sessions are held.