THE PULI HOTEL AND SPA

1 Changde Lu, Jing’an District hotel.qantas.com.au/thepuli Possibly Shanghai’s best-placed luxury boutique hotel, The Puli (right) is smack in the centre of downtown. From the bustle of Nanjing Xi Lu, one of the city’s busiest shopping and business districts, you enter an “urban resort” of calm, a stunning oasis of soaring ceilings, black stone and unpolished wood. On this same block are the historic Jing’an Temple, major malls, offices and two subway lines.

Business facilities Customised event planning is offered in the meeting room on the third floor and the event space on the 26th floor can host up to 150 people, with views of Jing’an Park and the Shanghai skyline. Wi-fi Complimentary throughout.

Food and wine The “intuitive French cuisine” of Phénix Eatery & Bar was awarded a Michelin star just one year after opening in 2016. For drinks, the hotel has an impressive 32-metre bar with a vast selection of wines and champagnes by the glass. The all-day bar with Garden Terrace is an ideal downtown venue for business over breakfast or drinks.

Fitness and wellbeing The drawcard here is the 25-metre indoor infinity pool, which looks directly onto verdant Jing’an Park. The 24-hour health club has “experiential” showers and Technogym equipment.

Coffee nearby About 10 minutes’ walk past Jing’an Temple, Seesaw Coffee (seesawcoffee.com) is an airy café in a vintage building that serves excellent brews, including flat whites.

To avoid waiting in ticket lines or scrounging for change, buy a Shanghai Public Transportation Card, or jiaotong ka, available at all major subway stations. This card can be used for taxis, subways, buses, ferries and even at most convenience stores....

Wanda Reign on the Bund’s Grand Deluxe River View Room (above); the tranquil Garden Terrace at The Puli Hotel and Spa (opposite)