St. Regis
A cigar-colored façade and tobacco-leaf leitmotifs adorn the exterior of this 328-room Pudong palace (it's no coincidence that the owner is a tobacco baron). Set back from the river, it's close to the Lujiazui business district and so caters to a corporate crowd. The facilities and services are exemplary: a 24-hour butler caters to guests' personal whims, and there's an on-site global-cuisine restaurant, Saints, that's also open around the clock. (On Friday evenings, the Champagne Sabrage event sees a bottle of Bollinger ceremonially opened using a saber). Even standard guest rooms are a spacious 516 square feet, dressed in rosewood and light gold, with plasma-screen TV's, fluffy pillow-top mattresses, and sleek bathrooms with rainfall showerheads, plush spa robes, and slippers.
Insider Tip: Tapping into Shanghai's flourishing contemporary arts scene, the hotel arranges private studio tours to visit local artists in action.
Room to Book: Rooms on the "ladies only" floors (24–26) come with extras like Bulgari bath products, fresh flowers, and padded silk clothes hangers.