Introduction:
A Taste of History
Shanghai, like China itself, seems to be changing not by the month or by the day, but by the hour and by the minute. We hear of the past being swept away to make way for the new, and while the evidence for this can not be denied, there is still a lot of the atmosphere of “old Shanghai” preserved in its vintage buildings. One of Shanghai’s greatest legacies are its old hotels, some from the 1920s and 1930s, and even well before, that are still there, still in operation and ready to provide you with a unique travel experience.
Shanghai’s vintage hotels range from four-star to two- star. There's a vintage hotel for the traveler on a budget as well as for the one looking for maximum comfort and luxury, and lots in between. The vintage hotels of Shanghai will both surprise and delight you. All of these hotels are well located which means you can walk to points of interest, to nearby restaurants and to conveniently-located shopping areas. For longer trips, Shanghai’s efficient subway system and plentiful, affordable taxis will take you where you want to go.
Shanghai Pacific Hotel
These classic hotels range in age from 70 + years in the case of the Shanghai Park Hotel to more than 260 years in the case of the Astor House Hotel. Many have undergone renovation or have recently been redecorated, or are about to be; the Peace Hotel is now closed and the Metropole Hotel is reportedly scheduled for work in the near future.
Shanghai Broadway Mansions Hotel / Shanghai Astor House Hotel
You might ask why stay in an old hotel, even an attractive one when there are so many newer hotels available; hotels that are smart, convenient and attractive. Why look back to the last century when you can look forward to this century and beyond?
The answer is that it really depends what kind of experience you would like to have.
If
you like spacious rooms with high ceilings, windows
that open, real wood paneling, antique lighting and
lobbies that are plush in a bygone sense, then these
are the hotels for you. If you want to experience a
sense of history, not theme-park history, but living
history, then consider a stay at one of the vintage
hotels of Shanghai.
A word of caution however. If you do research on the Internet you will find several different reviews of these hotels. Many of them were written before the hotels received a
make over, or while renovation was taking place, and these reviews have not been updated. And many were written by people who expected things to be done in China exactly like it is done in their own country.
As yet, there are no reports of anyone inventing a successful time machine, but with a little imagination, a stay in one of Shanghai’s vintage hotels could just take you back to a time that was and never will be again.
Shanghai Park Hotel
This story of Shanghai vintage hotels really has to begin with the Park Hotel, and finish with the Peace Hotel. They are like two bookends at the opposite end of Nanjing Road and they encompass the story of Shanghai’s Vintage hotels.
Shanghai Peace Hotel
A word of caution however. If you do research on the Internet you will find several different reviews of these hotels. Many of them were written before the hotels received a
make over, or while renovation was taking place, and these reviews have not been updated. And many were written by people who expected things to be done in China exactly like it is done in their own country.
As yet, there are no reports of anyone inventing a successful time machine, but with a little imagination, a stay in one of Shanghai’s vintage hotels could just take you back to a time that was and never will be again.
Shanghai Park Hotel
This story of Shanghai vintage hotels really has to begin with the Park Hotel, and finish with the Peace Hotel. They are like two bookends at the opposite end of Nanjing Road and they encompass the story of Shanghai’s Vintage hotels.
Shanghai Peace Hotel
World Expo 2010 Shanghai China
http://en.expo2010china.com/