16 hotels
The best design hotels in Shanghai
Shanghai's design hotels, from Piero Lissoni's Upper House in Jing'an to Neri&Hu, Kerry Hill and the 1920s Bund, ranked on named designers, distinctions and rooms. Our pick: Upper House Shanghai.
Criteria used
- Named designer and art on show
- 50%
- Distinctions (Michelin Keys, Forbes, World’s 50 Best)
- 30%
- Size of the entry room
- 20%
By Mathias C.Editor of the guide
In short
- Our pick is Upper House Shanghai, the former Middle House: two buildings by Piero Lissoni around a bamboo garden in Jing'an, studios from 50 m² and 1 Michelin Key.
- J Hotel Shanghai Tower leads on the criteria of this page: interiors by R&O on floors 84 to 105 and 120 of Gensler's 632 m Shanghai Tower, 2 Michelin Keys and entry rooms of 61 m².
- For the city's history, Capella restores 1930s shikumen lane houses, Amanyangyun rebuilds Ming and Qing houses by Kerry Hill, and Fairmont Peace Hotel keeps the 1929 Art Deco Sassoon House.
Our pick in Shanghai
Illustration No. 1Our pick
Rank 1: Upper House Shanghai
Jing'an, Shanghai
213 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 50 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Our pick: Piero Lissoni's two buildings around a bamboo garden in Jing'an, studios from 50 m², 102 serviced apartments and 1 Michelin Key. The most contemporary of the leading design houses, without tower views or historic walls.
8.7 out of 10
The other 15 hotels
No. 2Highest score
Rank 2: J Hotel Shanghai Tower
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
165 rooms · opened 2021 · rooms from 61 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Interiors by R&O on floors 84 to 105 and 120 of the 632 m Shanghai Tower, designed by Gensler; 2 Michelin Keys and entry rooms of 61 m².
9.3 out of 10
No. 3
Rank 3: Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
Xuhui, Shanghai
55 rooms · rooms from 111 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Five-Star
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Pool
- Spa
Villas by Jaya Ibrahim in the restored shikumen lane houses of Jianyeli, from 111 m², with 2 Michelin Keys.
8.5 out of 10
No. 4
Rank 4: The Sukhothai Shanghai
Jing'an, Shanghai
201 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 45 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its design, by Neri&Hu.
8.5 out of 10
No. 5
Rank 5: Amanyangyun
Minhang, south-west outskirts, Shanghai
35 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 99 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor and outdoor pools
- Spa
Stands out for its rooms: the entry category measures 99 m².
8.4 out of 10
No. 6
Rank 6: The Shanghai EDITION
Nanjing Road East, near the Bund, Shanghai
145 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 36 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its design, by Neri&Hu. Its limit: smaller entry rooms than the leaders.
8.2 out of 10
No. 7
Rank 7: The St. Regis on the Bund, Shanghai
The Bund, Huangpu, Shanghai
192 rooms · opened 2024
- 1 Michelin Key
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its design, by Foster + Partners with Heatherwick Studio. Its limit: smaller entry rooms than the leaders.
8.2 out of 10
No. 8
Rank 8: Fairmont Peace Hotel
The Bund, Shanghai
270 rooms · opened 1929
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its design, by Palmer and Turner. Its limit: no Michelin Key yet.
7.7 out of 10
No. 9
Rank 9: The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
285 rooms
- Forbes Four-Star
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its design, by Cesar Pelli & Associates (Shanghai IFC) / Richard Farnell. Its limit: no Michelin Key yet.
7.7 out of 10
No. 10
Rank 10: Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai
Suzhou Creek, Jing'an, Shanghai
82 rooms
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Five-Star
- 2 Michelin-starred restaurants
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its distinctions: 2 Michelin Keys, Forbes Five-Star. Its limit: smaller entry rooms than the leaders.
7.6 out of 10
No. 11
Rank 11: Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
362 rooms · opened 2013 · rooms from 50 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Five-Star
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its distinctions: 1 Michelin Key, Forbes Five-Star.
7.5 out of 10
No. 12
Rank 12: The Peninsula Shanghai
The Bund, Shanghai
235 rooms · opened 2009 · rooms from 54 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Five-Star
- No. 99, World's 51–100 Best Hotels 2026
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its distinctions: 2 Michelin Keys, Forbes Five-Star, No. 99, World's 51–100 Best Hotels 2026. Its limit: no named designer.
7.0 out of 10
No. 13
Rank 13: Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
The Bund, Shanghai
257 rooms · opened 2010
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its distinctions: 1 Michelin Key, Forbes Four-Star. Its limit: smaller entry rooms than the leaders.
7.0 out of 10
No. 14
Rank 14: Park Hyatt Shanghai
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
173 rooms · opened 2008 · rooms from 55 m²
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its rooms: the entry category measures 55 m². Its limit: no Michelin Key yet.
6.9 out of 10
No. 15
Rank 15: The PuLi Shanghai
Jing'an, Shanghai
229 rooms · opened 2009 · rooms from 45 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Stands out for its distinctions: 1 Michelin Key, Forbes Four-Star. Its limit: no named designer.
6.0 out of 10
No. 16
Rank 16: Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund
North Bund, Hongkou, Shanghai
130 rooms
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Its limit: no named designer.
5.1 out of 10
Why Upper House Shanghai is our pick for design
Upper House Shanghai opened in 2018 as The Middle House, in the HKRI Taikoo Hui development on West Nanjing Road. Piero Lissoni designed the house and its interiors: two buildings wrapped around a central bamboo garden, one with the 111 studios and the top-floor Penthouse, the other with 102 serviced apartments. The Michelin Guide gave it 1 Key in 2025 and 2026.
Its limit on this page is height and history: it has neither the tower views of J Hotel nor the 1930s lane houses of Capella. It is the most contemporary of the three, and the only one with serviced apartments.
Which designers shaped Shanghai's luxury hotels?
Neri&Hu, the Shanghai studio, designed both The Sukhothai, in Jing'an, and The Shanghai EDITION, where a 1929 Art Deco block, the former Shanghai Power Company headquarters, stands next to a new tower. Kerry Hill Architects built Amanyangyun's walled village of courtyard suites around restored Ming and Qing houses. Jaya Ibrahim designed Capella's villas in the Jianyeli lane houses.
On the Bund, The St. Regis is by Foster + Partners with Heatherwick Studio, and Fairmont Peace Hotel occupies the Sassoon House by Palmer and Turner, opened in 1929. In Pudong, Tony Chi designed Park Hyatt on floors 79 to 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center by Kohn Pedersen Fox.
Old Shanghai or new: which to choose?
For the 1920s and 1930s city, book on the Bund (Fairmont Peace Hotel, Waldorf Astoria in the 1911 Shanghai Club Building) or in a restored lane-house hotel such as Capella. For towers and views, Lujiazui has J Hotel and Park Hyatt, high above the river.
For a contemporary house in the middle of the city, Upper House Shanghai and The Sukhothai are both in Jing'an, a short walk from West Nanjing Road, where metro lines 2, 12 and 13 meet.
Frequently asked questions
Which Shanghai hotels are best known for their design?
Our pick is Upper House Shanghai. On the criteria of this page, J Hotel Shanghai Tower comes first with 9.3/10, and Upper House Shanghai scores 8.7/10.
Who designed Upper House Shanghai?
Piero Lissoni designed Upper House Shanghai, which opened in 2018 as The Middle House. Its two buildings sit around a bamboo garden in the HKRI Taikoo Hui development, designed by Wong & Ouyang.
Which Shanghai hotels are in historic buildings?
Fairmont Peace Hotel occupies the 1929 Sassoon House on the Bund, Waldorf Astoria the 1911 Shanghai Club Building, The Shanghai EDITION a 1929 Art Deco block, and Capella restored shikumen lane houses built from 1930. Amanyangyun rebuilt Ming and Qing houses outside the city.
Which hotel has the largest rooms in Shanghai?
Among the 16 hotels of this ranking, Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li has the largest entry rooms, at 111 m².
Which hotels in Shanghai have Michelin Keys?
12 of the 16 hotels hold Michelin Keys. The most distinguished is J Hotel Shanghai Tower, with 2 Keys (2026 selection).
Sources
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