Lonely Planet Review

Erected in 1934, the four-star Park was Shanghai's tallest building until the 1980s - the Jinmao Tower of its day if you will. The Shanghai Chinese said that if you looked all the way to the top of the Park, your hat would fall off. Today the hotel is one of Shanghai's most pure-bred examples of Art Deco architecture handed down from the city's cultural zenith.

Those looking for location and more location will appreciate that this is (or was) Shanghai's epicentre: a 1950 survey of town designated this exact spot as the city's geographic centre point, a topographical status enshrined in a lobby plaque glowing with a red light identifying the noble Park. Otherwise, the lobby is an extravagant slice of old Art Deco styling and those who know their history will be charmed by the ghosts of the past, although service can be dilatory at times (fame has this effect in Shanghai). Rooms are comfortable, but book early to score rooms with fine views of Nanjing Rd and Renmin Park.