Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai

The Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai is situated in a 23-story Art Deco high-rise dating back to the 1930s. In 2010 it re-opened as a luxury hotel with a transformed interior. Now warm, minimalist decor and an earthy color palette are balanced with homey details. The lobby is sleek with glossy beige floors that match the walls and reception desk, while rich parquet floors are found almost everywhere else, from the guest rooms to the gym. The hotel's craftsman-reminiscent Cafe DongXi feels less like a restaurant and more like a spacious, living room in a posh private home, with parquet floors, wooden shelves set with displays, couches gathered around coffee tables, and beautiful wood furniture. The stylish decor and excellent location attract tourists and business travelers alike. It's also worth noting that Les Suites Orient is often cheaper than luxury competition on the Bund, in part because it has fewer amenities.

The hotel is located on the Bund, a popular historic area that lines the Haungpu River, and overlooks the iconic Pudong skyline on the opposite side of the water -- a sight seen from many of the guest rooms. Restaurant and bar choices are within a five-minute walk of the hotel, and the property is fairly accessible to area attractions like Yu Garden (eight-minute walk), Nanjing Road (20-minute walk), and People's Square (25-minute walk or 10-minute drive). The Pudong commercial area is reachable in 10- to 15-minutes by taxi, or there's a ferry situated across from the hotel. The nearest subway station is about a 15-minute walk, and Shanghai Airport is about a 40-minute drive. Unlike newer hotels in the area, there is no on-site parking. Airport and train station transfers can be arranged through the hotel. 

Rooms are big and serene with an earthy beige and tan color palette, beautiful parquet floors, and upmarket wood furniture that call to mind mid-century modern and contemporary craftsman decor. The details feel at once homey and high-end, think inset wood and glass shelving outfitted with books, pictures, and vases. Bathrooms tend to be spacious and luxurious feeling with glossy beige tiling, checkered floors, vessel sinks, heated toilet seats, and either walk-in rainfall showers or separate showers and deep soaking tubs. Rooms have the expected amenities like flat-screen TVs, safes, hairdryers, and free Wi-Fi, but they also include posh extras such as minibars, electric kettles with tea service, and espresso-makers with Illy coffee. Personal music can be connected to the speaker system via Bluetooth, too. Another high-tech touch: Electronic controls allow guests to manage the lights, music, and shades right from bed. Bathrooms are also kitted out with luxe extras including robes, slippers, and individual toiletries. The hotel's 43 suites add more square footage and separate living areas. Guests face either the city or the river, with views pretty good even on lower floors, though the best views are on upper floors, especially those overlooking the river and Pudong's famed skyline.

For a luxury property, this hotel's amenities are limited, though the standards are exceptionally well done with a few extras tucked in. The hotel's on-site restaurant, Cafe DongXi, feels less like a restaurant and more like a private library or salon space. Guests can get Asian and Western dishes or beverages, and there are happy-hour specials, with many guests noting free evening drinks. A long, natural wood table makes a good communal dining surface for the free buffet breakfast, which includes hot and cold Western and Asian standards. The hotel's lounge area follows the restaurant's style cues, and offers up free coffee, tea, and snacks, like cookies or fruit, plus reading materials and computers for guest use. The gym is serene -- parquet floors, a statue of a dancer, and a raised yoga platform poised over a zen-like rock garden floor are a few highlights. There's also plenty of modern cardio machines with individual screens and weight-lifting equipment. The hotel, however, doesn't have a spa or swimming pool.Attentive staff offer concierge and room service. Car service, airport transfers, laundry service, and babysitting can be arranged. Meeting and event space is also available to rent through the hotel. Wi-Fi is free, with free VPN Wi-Fi a highlight for international guests in particular. Those with rental cars should note that there is no parking on site.