The Sukhothai Shanghai

Stepping off the crowded retail and white-collar-office thoroughfare of Shanghai’s Nanjing West Road into the quiet, minimalist lobby of The Sukhothai Shanghai is almost jarring. Shaped by its design — imagined head-to-toe by acclaimed local duo Neri and Hu — the open-plan entrance leads organically to a bar and restaurant area, devoid of the chandeliers, gold leaf and ostentation that often seem requisite for high-end hotels in China. Instead, understatement and sustainability are the buzzwords running throughout this contemporary hotel, composed of 170 tastefully designed guest rooms and 31 residential-style suites, where everything from the materials used to build the place to the ingredients used in the hotel's five dining venues have been considered through an eco-friendly lens. Another noticeable difference is the property’s more modern attitude toward customer service, with staff encouraged to adopt a first-name basis with guests, a detail that is sure to appeal to younger travelers looking for an alternative to stuffy, formal luxury.