A sense of curiosity and meaning is what leads a traveler to staying at The Waterhouse at South Bund over any other boutique or hotel in Shanghai.
The owner of the Unlisted Collection hotel group, Loh Lik Peng, is a pioneer in launching unique properties in undesirable neighborhoods. The Waterhouse at South Bund is no exception. Juxtapose the area to its neighbor North Bund and the two are night and day. North Bund is known for having some of the most expensive and lavish properties in all of Shanghai. In comparison, South Bund has been slower to catch up. But since The Waterhouse at South Bund boutique hotel opened, something new and exciting is being built every year.
A few high-quality hotels and restaurants have opened up and annual events such as beer festivals, art and fashion fairs, and music shows have increased the area’s appeal. Loh Lik Peng decided to take an old 1930s WWII Japanese army barricade and turn it into a 19-room boutique hotel. The result is a hotel made with the global citizen who appreciates authenticity, heritage, design, and local connectedness in mind.
My mom and I pulled up to The Waterhouse at South Bund late on a Wednesday night. I stepped out of the cab and was surprised not to feel a weight on my chest. Last time I was in Shanghai, the pollution was so bad, I immediately felt a heaviness within my lungs that dissipated after a few hours. This time, the air was fine. The building was hard to miss, it was the only well-lit up building for blocks. The outside doesn’t look like much. It retains a lot of the old army barricades structure and materials. Subtle lights beautifully light up the building, giving it a modern yet industrial flare.
Each of its 19 rooms is different, but they all have a few commonalities: oak floors and beds and concrete bathrooms with see through glass walls. What differentiates each room is the layout and the presence of either private decks or glass terraces overlooking the courtyard. Mine had the latter. I walked into my room at 12AM exhausted and ready to fall asleep. The entrance was lined with a kitchen counter with a complimentary Nespresso machine and capsule, already a good start. To the left was a small reading area with a TV and two vintage couches.
The center of the room was open, seamlessly connecting the private and public space into one. The hallway had a glass wall to my left looking down to the courtyard and a tinted glass window on my right separating the hallway from the bathroom. The designer of the boutique hotel made The Waterhouse at South Bund interactive so that when you are in your suite the people in the restaurant below can see you and you can see them. All spaces were made with this in mind. These forced interactions force guests to confront the local Shanghai urban condition and space.
After a flight on Asiana Airlines from Seoul to Shanghai, I was in need of a hot bath. I turned on the water in the industrial-style cement tub and enjoyed a relaxing bath with their complimentary L’Occitane products.
A lot of properties in Shanghai like retaining the original history of a place because they believe (which is true!) that it is what makes a place or thing interesting. The walls in each bedroom are the old army barricades, so elements such as mirrors and metal rungs have been added to give it a more modern flair. One of the best parts of the boutique hotel was that the room came equipped with an iPhone/mp3 docket that connected to bluetooth speakers in the ceiling. You could have music play from every room of your hotel room.
I like my sheets fluffy, so it feels like I’m sinking into them, and my mattresses firm, but not too firm. After a restful and comfortable night sleeping in ultra-comfortable linens, I woke up the next morning starving. I ran downstairs to enjoy the complimentary breakfast served at the boutique hotel. Breakfast ended up being my favorite part of my stay because it was THAT good and the design was that cozy. Oak covers the tables and side of the kitchen where the chef makes you fresh eggs. The kitchen counter is lined up with toast, pastries, cereal, fruit, and yogurts. Juices and coffee are presented in beautiful matte, earth-toned colored mugs.
My breakfast always consisted of a cup of American coffee, two slices of toast with honey or jam, a chocolate croissant, scrambled eggs with some of the most amazing bacon ever, and a yogurt so delicious I had 2 jar fulls every morning. For some reason, bacon and pork in Asia is just better than anywhere else I’ve had it and the yogurt was just so creamy yet light. I always left The Waterhouse at South Bund full of energy, ready to take on the day and walk endlessly around Shanghai.
I decided to spend the morning exploring the small intricacies of The Waterhouse at South Bund. I walked to the lobby to admire the “waiting area” furnished with a mix of Scandinavian, Japanese, and Chinese high-end furnisher. A big wooden chair drew my attention. IT reminded me of something you’d see in Game Of Thrones. Apparently the coup under the wooden chair was an old relic from the 1930s barricade that was used to keep chicken cooped so they wouldn’t run away. A beautiful white lantern hangs from the ceiling and a neon sign behind the reception reads “You Should Have Loved Me.” Connected to the lobby is the courtyard accessible to all and visible from my terrace. As you walk around you’ll actually notice quotes etched into the floor and walls throughout the entire boutique hotel. This exploration of mix of modern and old is what makes this boutique hotel so unique.
On the second and third floors, where the rooms are, the floors are cornered by concrete staircases. Some of them lead to other floors while others are a dead end, leading you to explore more of the boutique hotel. On the second floor above the main lobby, you’ll see what looks like bars. Behind the bars is an old barber chair, another collectible that was added as a piece of art. As you continue exploring, you’ll find a lot of these hidden antiques and treasures throughout the property.
In warmer months the rooftop bar is accessible to guests and the public with views of the Huangpu River that look across at the gleaming Pudong skyline. A herb garden is even situated on their rooftop and occasionally used in their cocktails or as decoration on top of their desserts.
If you’re a traveler looking for more than just luxury components in a hotel then The Waterhouse at South Bund is for you. This boutique hotel was made for travelers in search of meaning and history alongside a luxury component. Just steps from the South Bund Fabric Market, Yuyuan Garden, and the heart of the Bund, The Waterhouse at South Bund is the place to stay when in Shanghai if you’re looking for a unique experience. Especially with prices only starting at $170 a night…!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for The Waterhouse at South Bund, Unlisted Collection. All opinions remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
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