This sophisticated skyscraper hotel brings old Shanghai into the future

Since opening their debut in a former Freemason’s Hall in Shoreditch almost twenty years ago, Andaz have proven a canny ability to get ahead of the curve and open high-end hotels in up-and-coming neighbourhoods. Andaz Shanghai ITC follows suit, as the first lux stay in Xujiahui (the centre of the Former French Concession, aka Xuhui), set inside the new International Trade Centre complex. As is the Andaz way, the interiors are inspired by the locality, and this branch has gone for a nod to nostalgia. It’s an urban bolt hole, but the open-air movie nights, outdoor yoga and DJs in the cocktail bar make Andaz Shanghai ITC more than just a spot to rest your head.

Wallpaper* checks in at Andaz Shanghai ITC

What’s on your doorstep?

Slightly removed from the tourist trail, Xuhui is an enclave of heritage buildings, leafy parks and wide boulevard streets. Its main thoroughfares are fast-paced, but the side streets are homey, with the occasional impressive art deco apartment block or modernist civil building tucked away. The district’s supporting cast, which the Andaz design team took their inspiration from, is the distinctly Shanghaiese shikumen, or Lane Houses; the pre-war era micro-communities of dwellings that curl around communal courtyards with arched gateway entrances. Shikumen can date as far back as the mid-19th century, melding Chinese and European styles, and you can spot them around Xuhui, particularly those repurposed as cafés and boutiques. The area also comes with cultural cachet, as the home to Xujiahui Library, St. Ignatius Cathedral, and the Shanghai Film Museum, all within a 10-minute stroll of the hotel.

Who is behind the design?

This newly opened Andaz is part of a vast architectural project designed by the Hong Kongese P&T Group, the Xujiahui International Trade Centre. The ITC is a self-proclaimed ‘vertical neighbourhood’ of streamlined pathways, encompassing the Andaz, condo and office blocks, soon-to-open malls and the other ITC figurehead, Tower 2, which at 70 storeys and a soaring 370m in height, makes it the tallest tower in Puxi, the west side of the river.

The Andaz Shanghai ITC interiors are by HBA, who have artfully mirrored features of the heritage buildings of Xuhui to elicit an elegant time warp, while infusing a playful tone through the pops in colour and flow of lighting and space. Alleyway-like corridors lead into naturally light-drenched, high-ceilinged drinking and dining spaces. HBA’s Matthew Liu explains: ‘The communal spaces (the gym and swimming pool) were inspired by the historic rowing clubs along the Huangpu River. We are particularly proud of the dining rooms on the 14th floor. Architecturally, they reference traditional Shanghai lane houses; their proportions and spatial scale closely reflect those residential typologies.’ Think classy but cosy.

The 14th floor lobby is a design whimsy, with 1930s flashback elevators and a grand clock that has its own daily ritual at 5.30 pm, marking the moment when day becomes night. Grey brick provides a neutral backdrop to the colourful light fixtures and inviting textiles used throughout this floor, which also houses three lively dining spaces, the East Wing, the Rooftop Bar and the West Wing. ‘Brick was reinterpreted in multiple forms and materials across different areas of the hotel to define character, texture, and spatial identity,’ Matthew Liu told us. The vivid turquoise chandeliers of the East Wing and cluster of bright light globes and mirror balls in the Rooftop Bar are stand-out features, but honourable mentions go to the wellness floor’s triathlon mosaic by SONITE, art installations in the dining spaces by Debut Studio and Lu Jian Xin’s large wall piece ‘City Coordinates’, all accentuating movement and dynamism of the neighbourhood below.

The room to book

The 267 rooms come in five different types, each styled as the abode of a creative professional; the King rooms are the home of a fashion designer, the Twin rooms are the creative artist’s, the Andaz suites are the photographer’s house, the Premier suite is the florists and the unfathomably swish Executive suite is the jewellery designer’s pad, with all five decorated with art and artefacts to fit the profession. We loved the Andaz suite, a three-room affair on the corner of two corridors with sweeping views of Xujiahui below. Cameras deck the walls, as do used film reels and photography books, all adding fun detail and commitment to the theme. The sizeable sofa and bathtub in the Andaz suite are both ideal for reviving your feet after a busy day marching through the city, resetting before heading to the bar.

Voss water is plentiful throughout the room. Cans of Heineken beer and Coca-Cola sit cooled in the fridge, as do bottles of soda water. Spirits come in the form of Absolute Vodka, The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Aged 12 Years) and most interestingly, a lightly spiced local Shanghai craft gin by Peddlers Gin Co, infused with lotus, cardamom, Sichuan pepper, Chinese cassia, and liquorice, to name just half the ingredients. TWG Tea bags and Nespresso coffee pods are also readily available.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Executive Chef of Andaz Shanghai ITC, Jesse Chen, is Shanghainese born and bred, and has returned home after working in Europe for a long stint. She tells us, ‘Sweet things bring people joy; I am a typical Shanghainese that way. I saw my mother and grandma cooking a lot of rich sauces like soy sauce and sweet and sour sauce.’ So on the East Wing’s menu, she showcases these Shanghai flavours with plates of braised pork belly, slow-cooked lotus root, marinated river prawns, and of course dim sum and bao.

In the West Wing, there’s a multicultural approach, typical of Shanghai, with a deli-like counter offering Spanish tapas and Italian bites. After grazing, there are tea-based cocktails in the Rooftop Bar, concocted by bar manager Van Li. The Pomelo Oolong with pineapple, Japanese yuzu and 10-year-old Lafroig is a smoky dream. His domain is afternoon tea by day and DJs and board games by night.

The verdict

Despite being China’s capital of nostalgia, finding glimpses of old school Shanghai can be elusive beyond The Bund, given the forward-facing and futuristic nature of the city’s design. So Andaz Shanghai ITC is something of a shrine to the city of yesteryear, putting working-class culture (communal living, kids' games, everyday flavours) on a pedestal through its design. It’s a heart-warming stay without being too kitsch, elegantly done but with a lot of character. Everything is seamless, as you’d expect from a chain so committed to understated luxury, but the ease is a particularly welcome respite from the fast pace of the city outside.

Andaz Shanghai ITC is located at Hongqiao Rd. 283, Shanghai, China 200030