Alila Shanghai will feature several chic F&B venues (imagery: © Horizontal Design)

Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Fungseng Prosperity have joined forces to transform an existing property in Shanghai into a 188-room Alila hotel.

Alila Shanghai is expected to bring an exclusive urban retreat concept to the city’s Jing’an District.

An urban retreat in Shanghai

A high-profile conversion with a planned opening date of 2023, Alila Shanghai is set to become the first Alila-branded urban hotel in China. This forthcoming property will be designed as an ‘urban utopia’, according to Hyatt Hotels Corporation, offering a nature-infused luxury retreat.

David Udell, group president in Asia Pacific for Hyatt, said: “We truly treasure the long-term relationship with Mr William Doo, chairman of Fungseng Prosperity. As we continue to prioritise thoughtful growth of our luxury and lifestyle brands around the world to meet guests’ desire for serenity and discovery, Alila Shanghai presents a unique opportunity to transform and revitalise an existing building into a new offering that will add great value to Shanghai’s hotel scene.

“We hope our innovative vision of the Alila brand’s conscientious living will serve as a launchpad for future developments in the city. We are excited to collaborate with Fungseng Prosperity on this project, which we envision will become the flagship for an urban Alila experience globally.”

Doo added: “As an old friend of Hyatt for over 30 years of collaboration and partnership, we are delighted to be working with Hyatt on the first Alila hotel in Shanghai. Fungseng Prosperity is a visionary in rejuvenating old properties and advancing with the market.

“This transformative project is designated to reposition the building to meet guests’ evolving needs. With its distinctive garden-in-the-city concept, we are confident that Alila Shanghai will offer an authentic and refreshing experience for business and leisure travellers alike.”

Nature-inspired hotel design

Alila Shanghai promises to balance the spirit of the Chinese megacity with the serenity of the Alila brand. This vision will be achieved through clever design, integrating earth tones, natural materials, city views, and calming studios and suites.

Each space will embrace nature through its contemporary style. The fourth-floor lobby will feature landscaped greenery inspired by Shanghai’s classical gardens, while dining and drinking venues are to include a rooftop Chinese restaurant, organic restaurant, tea bar and rooftop bar looking out over Old Shanghai Zhang Garden.

Other facilities in the hotel will include an indoor pool and spa, meeting space and a private garden ideal for events.

The new 188-key hotel will be part of a wider mixed-use development that also features offices and retail space. This scheme is located in one of the most coveted business and residential addresses in Shanghai – an area with a strong creative community of its own, making it the ideal location for Alila’s lifestyle offering.

The brand’s recent openings include Alila Napa Valley and Alila Marea Beach Resort Encinitas in California, while Alila Hinu Bay in Oman is set to open later this year.

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