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.

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.

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 

Ever-changing Shanghai is like one big playground for architects, with each building trying to outdo each other in terms of whimsical design and height.