Hotel Review: Andaz Shanghai ITC is a pop of colour in the city’s skyline

One of the newest luxury hotels in Shanghai, the latest Andaz outpost in Xujiahui, sits atop the ITC, an integrated commercial complex in southwest downtown by Sun Hung Kai Properties. As its first major tenant, the hotel officially opened in March, and during our visit in May, much of the office towers and retail mall space still remained empty.

A lesser-known commercial hub among tourists, Xujiahui in the Xuhui district doesn’t stand out much. At the edge of the city’s downtown area and with one of the tallest buildings in the area, the ITC has a great vantage point over the residential apartments and complexes around it.

While you’d need some luck for clear skies, the sunset or its hues can be enjoyed from The Rooftop Bar.

That’s not to say there aren’t any attractions around — within walking distance is the neo-gothic St. Ignatius Cathedral (or Xujiahui Cathedral), built between 1906 and 1910 and the Xujiahui Library.

A 15-minute train ride from the station right by the complex takes you to the famous Jing’An shopping area, or, if the mood strikes, an hour’s walk brings you to Nanjing Road shopping district.

A reflection of the city

Designed by Hirsh Bedner Associates, the interior of Andaz Shanghai ITC is built around the concept of “bringing the outside in” and nostalgia. Dubbed a “vertical mosaic” of Shanghainese charm, the contemporary design pays tribute to the blend of East and West architecture found throughout the city, with quirky, unexpected touches such as artwork, retro toys, and snacks.

There are two main ways to enter the hotel: The first floor is more of a functional one where most private hire cars will drop you off (and where delivery drivers arrive), while the third floor is the intended main entrance when the complex is fully operational, with breathtaking floor-to-ceiling glass brick walls that echo the shikumen or Chinese-Western lane houses ubiquitous to the city.

Take the 1930s-inspired elevators to the hotel’s 14th-floor lobby, which offers a good view and evokes a courtyard feel, complete with an architectural canopy and a grand clock announcing the complimentary Andaz Hour at 5.30pm, with free-flow drinks and snacks. 

On the same level are the dining options: East Wing, an all-day dining greenhouse-inspired restaurant; West Wing, a sultry European-Shanghainese deli and wine bar serving Spanish tapas; and a pastel blue Rooftop Bar for a kiki over cocktails and afternoon tea.

Amenities such as the 25m lap pool, plunge pool, and fitness centre are on the 15th floor, where a triathlon mosaic by SONITE overlooks the billiards and table tennis tables.

Of the 267 maisonette-style rooms across the property, there are five different designs they take after: a fashion designer, a creative artist, a photographer, a florist, and a jewellery designer. From its smallest offering to its suites, all rooms are generously spaced and fitted with Byredo Eleventh Hour products, a Dyson hair dryer, and a Nespresso coffee maker. 

Dash of colour

In contrast to the glass tower it’s housed in and sterile skyscrapers it’s surrounded by, Andaz Shanghai ITC is full of personality. From the copious use of colours, textures, and clever details such as how all the corridors are made to look like neighbourhood streets, the hotel itself is a breath of fresh air from the rinse-and-repeat multiplexes below. 

For those new to the city, like me, the design details that reference parts of the city’s architecture and rich culture become a fun treasure hunt as you learn more about Shanghai’s history with each day of exploring. 

Framed doodles of the iconic cityscape become recognisable, the provided osmanthus bath bomb and pillow spray smell like the multiple cups of boba tea consumed throughout the day, and the lush greenery in the East Wing is reminiscent of the shaded pathways in The Former French Concession. 

Shanghai might be a futuristic megacity where transactions are exclusively digital and electric cars with clear glass roofs zoom about the roads, but, as Andaz reminds us, there’s magic in the tangible.