Jin Jiang Hotel

The Jin Jiang Hotel is one of Shanghai's most historic places to stay, a complex of Art Deco buildings set in gardens on South Maoming Road in the former French Concession. Its oldest parts are Cathay Mansions, an apartment building of 1929 by Palmer and Turner, and the Grosvenor House of 1934, an 18-storey Art Deco block by the same firm. The hotel itself grew out of the Jinjiang Sichuan restaurant opened by Dong Zhujun in 1935; in 1951 the city government moved the restaurant into Cathay Mansions and renamed it the Jinjiang Hotel.

Its place in history was sealed in 1972, when the American delegation accompanying President Nixon stayed here and the Shanghai Communiqué, which opened the way to normal relations between the United States and China, was issued in the hotel's small auditorium, built in 1957. The hotel says it has received more than 500 national dignitaries from over 150 countries, and it is protected as a city-level cultural relic. The grounds cover five buildings and around 16,500 square metres of gardens.

Rooms range from compact standard rooms in the Cathay Building to larger deluxe rooms in the Cathay Garden wing, premier rooms and suites, and the 200-square-metre Grosvenor House Jinjiang Suite. The hotel lists four places to eat and drink, including the Jin Jiang Ballroom and Huamaohui Chinese Restaurant, both serving Sichuan and Shanghainese dishes, and the Baishili Bar for light meals and afternoon tea. Yong Fu, a Michelin-starred Ningbo seafood restaurant, occupies the upper floors of the Cathay Building.

The hotel suits history lovers, couples and anyone who wants to stay in the leafy former French Concession rather than among the towers. Rooms vary widely in size and outlook, so check the room type carefully when booking. Check-in is from 2pm and check-out at noon, and the hotel is smoke-free.

For events, the Jin Jiang Hall can hold up to 450 people, and the smaller Huamao Hall seats around 100.

The South Maoming Road address in the former French Concession is a good base for the walks and cafés of the area, and taxi drivers know the hotel by name.