The Jumeirah Himalaya Hotel

Smack in the middle of Pudong,  in a location that is so vastly spacious that it is close to absolutely nothing more than other big buildings designed to draw crowds(i.e. Shanghai New International Expo Center) ---rises the newest Jumeirah Himalaya Hotel. This is a building out there to make an impression.  After all, it caters to the people that come to Shanghai for only a short period of time like a meeting and maybe never even make it over to Puxi.

 If it was any other hotel---it could have faded in to obscurity like other awful airport and conference hotels, but this is designed by world-renowned architect Arata Isozaki and the first Jumeriah in China, from a brand that boasts 7 star facilities such as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

The Jumeriah Himalaya seeks to be the new cultural hub in conjunction with SNIEC and anchoring Pudong from the abyss that surrounds it. As such, The Himalaya offers 401 rooms, 5 restaurants, an art gallery, 1,100 seat Daguan theater, conference space, rooftop infinity garden, 24 hour fitness, pool, and a slew of luxury shops.  Outside is an austere landscape (rumored to be designed by his wife)  of wheat stalks to contrast with the dramatic facade.  We were not able to get up close but, the amorphous shape is representative of a forest and originally supposed to be steel until the cost of steel rose 10 fold. Now it is concrete.

Our studio team ate at the Arte Cafe on the day of the visit for their lunch buffet. Not the best, not the worst but then we toured the most important part of every hotel---the rooms!

My coworker Miki at Arte Cafe

Deluxe Room (standard room)

Premiere Room

The Premiere Room was really quite strange (and probably a nightmare to layout) because it curved around the hotel's central "jade atrium and reflection garden".   Furthermore, the windows were overlaid with fixed metal shutters forming the building's exterior facade! A beautiful room, but a poor view with the feeling of being behind bars. Don't stay at the Premiere Room if you want a view.  The other rooms were fine though. The Grand Deluxe Suite's tub was my favorite and I don't even take baths.

Grand Deluxe Suite

Finally here is the grand lobby with it's "feng shui" elements, giant LCD screen ceiling, emblazoned scripture, and antique altar center piece. What do you think? Does this hotel make the impression it seeks and would you stay here? I've already heard it being "too Chinese" from the Chinese, ha.  I would love to hear your comments from abroad.
More pictures from the Jumeirah's own website here.

Chinese Search Engine Copies Google

Being in China, I am now also a user of Baidu, the closest competition to Google here. Baidu maps is actually quite useful because it also combines the features of HopStop.com. The site will concisely tell you what train or bus to take, where to get off, how far you have to walk, and approximately how long the whole process will take. It usually offers you a few options based on travel time versus number of transfers plus up to date traffic conditions. Baidu maps is a total necessity for someone unfamiliar with Chinese cities.

Then, one day over the May 1 Labor Day holiday, I went on Baidu to find a half-assed alteration in Baidu's logo in order to commemorate the holiday. Not only did the altered logo look uninspiringly like clip art---but this is Google's thing! As an American, I was outraged. Why must China copy everything and turn out a less than adequate replica?! I would like to boycott Baidu in protest...but then I would have to rely on vague street maps and unkindly cab drivers...what's a girl to do.