Shanghai’s storied Bund riverfront continues its 21st-century evolution with a revamp of a classic 1980s hotel in a pivotal location at the mouth of Suzhou Creek. The old Seagull Hotel represented new hope after China’s reopening to the world. Its new incarnation, as Regent Shanghai on the Bund, an IHG property, also represents a reopening of sorts after the city’s closure and stagnation through the Covid-19 era.
The new property sprawls over its corner lot with the same panoramic views to neon Pudong through wider, grander windows. Architects have reimagined the rear of the old hotel as an alternative foyer facing the revitalised creek, and every aspect now gets a view of the water, even when they’re not partaking in the 25-metre indoor pool.
Image: The Regent Shanghai on the Bund.
Image: The Regent Shanghai on the Bund.
Image: The Regent Shanghai on the Bund.
Image: The Regent Shanghai on the Bund.
Immense, double-height dining spaces scattered around the ground floor are accordingly bright, with Art Deco-style accents and skyline views. Silk-lined bedrooms are furnished with pristine, new pieces that nod to the colonial style of the neighbourhood, once settled by the English. They feature shutter motifs, fluted-glass lighting and classic qipao patterns in the tilework and upholsteries.
The Regent Shanghai on the Bund opened to guests at the end of April.
