Grand Mercure Shanghai Century Park

Architects love China. Here the big cities are growing so fast, they’re like an R&D lab for innovations in architecture. Over here even the most traditional hotel chains have embraced a certain modernity of design, an emphasis on the aesthetic that might not go down so easily in another locale. All of this is by way of an explanation for how, for instance, a Radisson in Shanghai ends up looking as striking as the Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park.

Given its location in Pudong, it finds itself in an environment with plenty of architectural stimulation. Once you’re inside it seems only fitting that there should be, for example, a massive sculpture of a thumb in its dramatic and colorful lobby lounge. And by the time you step off the elevator, the cloud-like white-on-white color scheme of the guest rooms seems like the most natural thing in the world.

In spite of its slightly unorthodox visual style, the Radisson at Century Park is essentially a classic luxury hotel. The rooms may be a hair less plush than some of the competition, but there’s a substantial audience which prefers this sort of energetic atmosphere to the typical overly lavish luxury style. And when it comes to the nuts and bolts, nothing’s missing — the four restaurants include an upscale classic Chinese option, the fitness center includes not just a pool but a tennis court as well, and the meeting facilities are state-of-the-art. Maybe this is just the new Shanghai standard — but if that’s the case, a lot of cities wish they could have Shanghai’s standards.

How to get there
Radisson Hotel Pudong Century Park is 30 minutes away from Pudong International Airport and 15 minutes from Maglev Station.