Waterhouse $$$

1-3 Maojiayuan Lu, near Zhongshan Nanlu
21/6080-2988
www.waterhouseshanghai.com [1]

COST: ¥500-1,500 per night

METRO: Xiaonanmen (Line 9)

Boutique hotels are all the rage in Shanghai and the Waterhouse near the Cool Docks [2] is one of the newest and most innovative. The focus is on minimalist comfort; each of the 19 guest rooms is individually decorated with artsy modern furniture and simple but luxurious furnishings by Japanese and Danish designers.

The Table No.1 [3] restaurant put the Waterhouse firmly on the map thanks to its celebrity chef Jason Atherton—a protégé of Gordon Ramsay.

The hotel was designed by Neri and Hu around an old corner building in old dockland territory. The exterior is concrete and wood, while the interior features an open courtyard onto which many of the guest rooms look out.

The Waterhouse has a hip, urban boho vibe, and is well located for the Bund and the Old City.