Ruijin Hotel

An English country getaway in the middle of Shanghai

Talk of the town: Rumour has it that Chairman Mao slept in a room in building one.
This colonial-style hotel, built in the late 1920s, is set in the middle of a lovely, lush 100-acre garden. The hotel's location is idyllic yet practical; the grounds are so quiet you'll forget you're in a city of 23.5 million, but Ruijin Hotel is a short walk to Tianzifang and Xintiandi. It's also a quick jaunt from a few metro lines, so you can zip around town.

Rooms are comfortable and well appointed; though the older spaces could use an update, the hotel is steeped in history. Breakfast, a massive buffet spread, is served in the room where Chang Kai Shek and Soong Meiling were married.