Event spaces and hotel meetings

JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square has established itself as one of the top caterers for off-site events in the city. The 342-room property recently relaunched its restaurant on level 40. Red@The Grill specialises in red wine, lobster and red meat.
It has a private room that caters for between ten and 25 people.

Event planners can get a taste test and a clear picture of the hotel’s events capabilities at the Chef’s Closing Room. Montblanc and LVMH are among the companies that have made use of the meeting facilities here that include 13 function rooms – the biggest of which can hold up to 720 guests.

RECENT MAKEOVER
Last year, Hotel Equatorial Shanghai completed a US$1.5 million makeover of its ballroom that holds up to 500 guests. The renovation complements the overhaul of its 526 guestrooms and its lobby. The hotel is within walking distance of the Shanghai Exhibition Centre and Nanjing West Road.

Centrally located within easy reach of several of the city’s landmarks, the 761-room Le Royal Méridien has one of the biggest room inventories in the city. Its 12 meeting rooms, including two ballrooms with natural lighting, are popular for press conferences, seminars and other
corporate events.

The biggest ballroom here can hold up to 650 people and HP, Intel and a number of airlines have all held events at the hotel.

Four Points by Sheraton Shanghai, Daning opened last year as part of Life Hub@ Daning,
a development that consists of restaurants, bars, retail outlets and commercial offices.
The area is also home to universities and several multimedia companies. The hotel features 326 rooms and 1,600 sqm of meeting space – including a ballroom for 350 delegates.

PUDONG GROWTH
Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai has 950 luxurious rooms in its two wings. The hotel is no stranger to hosting foreign dignitaries, as well as high-profile events such as last year’s international launch of the Pirelli calendar, and more recently, the Lujiazui Forum. The meeting space here of 6,500 sqm includes two of the biggest ballrooms in the city with capacities of 1,700 and 1,500 people.

Once the tallest hotel in the world, Grand Hyatt Shanghai’s lobby is on the 54th floor and all 555 rooms enjoy excellent city views. The hotel is next to the Shanghai International Convention Centre but offers its own extensive meeting facilities, including two ballrooms for groups of up to 1,200 and 800 delegates respectively. There is also an auditorium that seats 390 guests.

The 525-room Sheraton Shanghai Hotel & Residences, Pudong opened last year in a complex that also includes the Four Points by Sheraton’s 336 rooms. The biggest of the seven meeting rooms here is the grand ballroom, which is divisible into three and can hold up to 1,000 guests.

A metro station opened a short walk from Crowne Plaza Pudong Shanghai earlier this year, cutting the commute to Lujiazui to just 20 minutes. The 398-room hotel, located near the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone, is a 35-minute commute from the Pudong International Airport. Its 17 meeting rooms are popular for mid-size groups, such as Lenovo.

ECOLOGICAL ZONE
Away from the bustle of the city, Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai is located within an ecological zone, about 40 minutes’ drive from the central business district. A popular choice for conference, meeting and incentive groups that are looking for a city retreat, the 327-room hotel recently hosted the 3M China Leadership Forum with 500 attendees.
 
In addition to the eight meeting rooms and a ballroom for up to 1,800 people, facilities for teambuilding are being added to the hotel’s garden area.

A number of new luxury properties have recently opened in Shanghai. Hyatt on the Bund has been popular with meeting groups from the banking and finance sector, product launches and celebrities with an entourage since its opening last year.

The 631-room hotel is located on the bend of the river, giving views of both futuristic Pudong and the historic Bund. It has two ballrooms, rooftop space, an outdoor terrace and ten other breakout rooms for events.

Swissôtel Grand Shanghai, centrally located near the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, will open this month. The 467-room hotel has six meeting rooms and two ballrooms that can accommodate up to 500 people.

Park Hyatt Shanghai, which will take the title of the highest hotel in China from the Grand Hyatt when it opens in July, has 174 guestrooms from the 79th to the 93rd floors.
The property is housed in the city’s latest architectural landmark, the Shanghai World Financial Centre. The event space on the 93rd floor of the building caters for to up to 228 guests.

UNIQUE VENUES
Shanghai does not lack interesting venues for product launches, cocktail parties or board
meetings. The Sino-Soviet style Shanghai Exhibition Centre, a historic building centrally located on West Nanjing Road, has been used for banquets, themed dinners and for exhibitions and conferences.

Along the city’s historical waterfront, Space by Three is located on the second floor of Three on the Bund, a beautifully restored post-Renaissance-style building completed in 1916. Its wooden floor, marble finishes and high ceilings have provided an elegant backdrop for product launches by drinks companies, among others.

Once an abattoir and also a pharmaceutical factory, 1933 is named after the year of its opening. In its present incarnation, it offers interesting spaces of varying sizes for events.
The intriguing architecture features a series of interlocking ramps, bridges and walkways,
mixed with dramatic spaces. On the fifth floor is a 1,000 sqm main theatre with a glass stage.
Both Rado and Ferrari have held events here.

French restaurant Le Platane, located by the man-made lake in Xintiandi, has hosted events by Cartier, LVHM, PwC, KPMG and DuPont. The restaurant is in a two-storey traditional Shikumen or laneway house.

The elegant private dining rooms can seat up to 50 people or hold up to 120 people for
cocktail parties.

The outdoor lakeside space can also be used for events. Le Platane’s sister restaurant Villa
du Lac is in the house just opposite and also has VIP rooms for up to 24 people and a third-floor terrace for up to 30 guests.