With the Olympics kicking off today in Beijing, the entire world will be focusing on the city, and there is so much to take in. Beijing has been spruced up and now boasts some of the world’s most daring architecture, alongside ancient sites like the Forbidden City. The art scene in Beijing is buzzing as well; check out all the galleries and hip bars in the Dashanzi district. We’ll let everyone else cover the sports while we zero in on the city’s shopping. While Beijing doesn’t have the immediate appeal and buzz of Shanghai, if you dig a little deeper you’ll find the city’s charms, like the myriad of hutongs (the traditional alleys).

Shanghai may be one of the buzziest and most glamorous cities in the world, but it's not a place to take a risk when it comes to choosing a hotel. The city is sorely lacking when it comes to chic little boutique hotels so if you want to be guaranteed of a quality hotel stay, you need to go big- and go luxury. When we were in Shanghai to check out the city's best shops, we made The Portman Ritz-Carlton our home base. Located in the Portman Plaza, the hotel is named in honour of its builder. The building used to be a Shangri-La hotel but despite the name and management change, everyone still calls it The Portman (if you're asking your taxi driver to take you back to the hotel, just say “Portman” and everyone knows it).

When it comes to choosing a hotel in Shanghai, we're partial to the Grand Hyatt and the Ritz-Carlton, but those looking for a huge room with a view should book the Andree Putman-designed penthouse suite at 41 Hengshan Road, an apartment-hotel managed by Kempinski. This tower is located in the French concession, which also has some of the best shops in town, and is surrounded by villas and tree-lined streets.  The penthouse features three bedrooms, an open-plan bathroom, and a large private terrace.

Looking for insider tips on where to eat in Beijing? The Telegraph this week ran a feature on Chinese actress Gong Li's favourite spots in Beijing. She reccommended the elegant Courtyard Restaurant (pictured), a beautifully preserved building near Tiananmen Square which serves salmon and tuna sashimi, seared Maine scallops and King prawns in a lemongrass caramel glace. Surprisingly she suggested Quannjude as the top place to try Peking duck- when we visited the restaurant last year we were less than impressed- I thought the flavours tasted fake and regretted not trying the duck at the Hyatt Beijing. Her final tip? The Lao She tea house where you can try tea made with an expanding jasmine flower.

Awana, one of London's top Malaysian restaurants, will open this spring in Beijing. The Beijing outpost will be located on Lady Street, which is chocka with trendy bars and restaurants. The restaurant is slated to open on May 10, 2007 with a big bash and the help of celebrities like Jimmy Choo and Michelle Yeoh. The menu will feature Malaysian specialties like satay, grilled lamb ribs and ikan panggang, a banana leaf wrapped butterfish with lemongrass, coriander and chilli served with shallot and cucumber salad. Awana Beijing, Chao Yang Distric 32, Tian Ze Lu, Nu Ren Jie. (Lady Street) Beijing, 100016 China.

Consuela Castiglioni's Marni label is known for its bright colours and funky patterns and counts Julia Roberts, Ashley Judd, Kirsten Dunst, Audrey Tatou, and Monica Bellucci among its celebrity fans. We're fans of her dresses, which are quirky and romantic and never too formal. Marni has just opened a new boutique in China, inside the China World Trade Centre, the city's most upscale shopping centre. This big, glossy shopping centre is also home to Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Cartier and Max Mara (but be warned, prices can be higher than they are in the US and UK because of high taxes). The store has been designed by the London firm Sybarite, and the store features glossy, grey walls and lacquered steps, with curvy garment rails.

Shanghai, one our favourite cities, has a new watering hole. Attica is a combination restaurant-lounge-bar. The in-house restaurant, Finestra, serves Italian fusion food and there are two outdoor terraces, including Zen, the one pictured and a Balinese themed one which overlooks the TV Tower. The resident DJ is 28-year old Brit Jon White.who grew up in the city of Southampton and arrived in Shanghai three months ago to help set up the venue.

It seems that every other week the Ritz-Carlton  announces the opening of a new hotel (not that we're complaining! We love their legendary service). The newest Ritz-Carlton to join the family is the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street, set to open in mid-October. The brand-new glass and chrome building is ideally located for business travellers as well as those on holiday- and we're sure the hotel is already taking reservations for the 2008 Olympics. The hotel will have 253 guest rooms, as well as a Club Level lounge where guestrooms will overlook the Tibetan-style White Pagoda Temple. In addition to Italian and Chinese restaurants, there will also be a Tea Apothecary, offering 88 varieties of tea. For more information, call 800 234 000.

While Shanghai may lack the cultural attractions of Beijing, it eclipses the capital when it comes to shopping. Over the last decade, Shanghai has embraced its past, present and future to create a sizzling melting pot of a city.

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts has just opened its first property in mainland China, Le Méridien She Shan Shanghai. Located 40 minutes away from Shanghai, the area is home to the oldest cathedral in the East, The She Shan Observatory, and Natural Bird Park. Special introductory rates start at $88 per room, valid through February 28, 2006. For more information call 1-800-543-4300 or visit www.lemeridien.com