Historic hotels offer more than a view

Some of the city's luxury hotels served as venues for acts that changed history, such as former US president Richard Nixon's visit in the 1970s

Luxury hotels in Shanghai have served some of the world's most important personages in recent decades, from Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge last month to former US president Richard Nixon in the 1970s and silent movie star Charlie Chaplin in the 1920s, when the city enjoyed its golden era.

Hotel prices hit a record high last year as one night at the Mandarin Oriental Pudong's 788-square-meter presidential suite went for 160,000 yuan ($25,800).

While some luxury hotels cater to demand by offering a dizzying array of amenities, such as an in-room jacuzzi or elaborate personal mini-bar, others draw on their experience of hosting presidents of countries and other VVIPs to market themselves.

Fairmont Peace Hotel

The 270-room Fairmont Peace Hotel has a special place in Shanghai's history.

For decades, its copper-covered pyramid-shaped roof and granite facade have defined the Bund skyline and exemplified the city's glamorous nature, reflected in its nickname "the Paris of the Orient".

Construction of the building known formerly as Sassoon House began in 1926. This 12-story Gothic-style edifice soon became the flagship property of owner Sir Victor Sassoon, a British Sephardic Jew and scion of a wealthy banking family who invested over $5 million in it and brought in 1,600 pieces of redwood to finish the job.

Chaplin enjoyed some downtime on the teak spring dance floor of the hotel with his amour Paulette Goddard when they toured Asia in the mid-1930s. They stayed in room No 51, which has since been changed to room No 568 but remains an attraction because of its storied history.

Former Kuomintang (KMT) leader Chiang Kai-shek announced his engagement to Soong May-ling at the hotel's Chinese restaurant on the ground floor in 1927, less than one year after the hippest location in town was partially reconstructed.

It also catered to English playwright Noel Coward, one of the highest-earning writers of the time, who famously drafted his comedy Private Lives in room No 314. The three-act comedy of manners was released in 1930.

The hotel's revolving door, which opens onto the Bund riverfront, was used by important guests like Bill and Hilary Clinton in 1998. However, the door is closed most of the time. Some claim this is because it breaks with classical laws of fengshui, which state that a main entrance should not face water.

The hotel has survived the bombs of World War II and another turbulent decade during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). It underwent three years of renovation and reopened in 2010 in a bid to restore its former glory. It is also famous for its decades-old jazz band.

Inside the hotel's simple but faintly Gothic facade are nine themed suites. A moon gate, an architectural feature common in landscaping in East China, separates the dining room and bedroom in the Chinese suite.

Address: 20 Nanjing Road E

InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin hotel

The latest guest of honor to check in at this rare oasis in the hectic city center was Prince William, whose appearance in March thrust this century-old gem back into the limelight.

Built by English newspaper tycoon H.E. Morris in 1916 as his private residence, the 100-acre historic estate boasts arguably the largest garden in the former French Concession. It is well-known for the celebrity clientele who passed through its doors both before and after it was converted into a state guesthouse in 1979.

Chairman Mao Zedong and Nixon are among those who graced its luxury premises. Others made use of the English neo-classical architecture in one of its two-story buildings by turning it into their home and office. Chiang Kai-shek and his wife spent their first few years of married life there, while Chen Yi, the first mayor of Shanghai, lived and worked in the same building during his time in office in the 1950s.

The building is being renovated and is expected to open its doors in August, when it will be known as the Morris Residence. Prince William was privy to a soft opening, or unveiling ceremony, when he visited Shanghai to attend the UK government-sponsored Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai.

Address: 118 Ruijin Er Road

Jinjiang Hotel

The 1,200-square-meter hall in the center of the Jinjiang Hotel is famous for serving as the venue where Sino-US relations were restored in the 1970s.

A spacious compound of three main buildings arranged around an evergreen lawn, the hotel was built in 1925 by a Jewish banker as his personal residence and given the name Cathay Mansion. Cathay is an alternative name for China in English that was popular for several centuries. The residence was taken over by the municipal government in Shanghai in 1951 and run as a state-owned luxury hotel.

Before the Shanghai Communique was signed at the hotel's grand hall in 1972, it had accommodated more than 300 visits by state leaders and government heads from all over the world. The diplomatic document was signed by Nixon and Mao on Feb 28, 1972 as a formal pledge to normalize relations.

But the short notice of Nixon's impending visit posed a challenge for the hotel's management team, said Qiu Huanxi, a retired hotel staffer who worked there at the time.

The weeklong visit not only marked the first time an incumbent US president had visited the People's Republic of China, but was also later appraised by Nixon as the "seven days that changed the world".

The Shanghai Communique, also known as the Joint Communique of the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, was signed and issued in Shanghai at the conclusion of Nixon's trip, even though most of the key meetings that led to its formulation had been held in Beijing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

"We were told about the visit less than one week before (Nixon arrived)," said Qiu, who was part of the team organized to receive him.

The team consisted of 14 staff from the hotel, including a receptionist, barber, waiter and doorman. Part of the so-called "vanguard team", Qiu and his colleagues were supported by many more hotel staff and other figures, according to the hotel's archives.

Most of Nixon's food and beverages were flown in from the US. It was not until after the release of the Communique that Nixon ordered three dishes from the hotel's Chinese restaurant. They were: chicken, fried shrimp balls, and broad beans fried with mushrooms.

Unlike the situation that played out during a state banquet with then-premier Zhou Enlai, where Nixon courteously used chopsticks throughout the meal, Nixon finished the three dishes using knives and forks in his room, according to Qiu. "He finished them all and seemed quite impressed with each one," he added.

Nixon revisited the hotel during his third trip to China in 1993 but did not stay the night. Four years later, its Grand Hall was reconstructed and made 10 times larger.

Nixon stayed in the presidential suite on the 16th floor of the hotel's main building, which was the best room the city had to offer in the 1970s. It remains open today despite several renovations.

"Its glamor has yet to wane," said a representative of the hotel surnamed Wang.

Address: 59 South Maoming Road

Astor House Hotel

Founded in 1846, Astor House has played witness to the city's 170-year history as a commercial port. It was the first hotel to receive investment from Western merchants in China and was conceived as a mixture of Victorian and Baroque styles.

It has changed hands, and names, several times. After the hotel was relocated close to Wales Bridge on the Huangpu river in 1857 it became known as Astor House in English while also retaining a Chinese name among local people.

The first electric light in China is said to have been switched on there in 1882, and the country's first-ever telephone was connected in the hotel that same year. The first "talkie" ever to be shown in China premiered at Astor House in 1908, according to archive records.

Its advanced facilities have attracted famous visitors like Albert Einstein, Chaplin and former US president Ulysses Grant.

Address: 15 Huangpu Road

xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily USA 04/17/2015 page8)