The First Bellagio Hotel in China Opened it’s Doors in July 2018
Date: August 2018
Location: Bund District, Shanghai, China
Name: Bellagio Shanghai
No. of Keys: 162 rooms and 22 suites
Seller:
Buyer: Known for its luxury hotel brand under MGM Resorts International in Las Vegas, the latest offering from Bellagio is its first to grace Asia, in fact it’s only Bellagio’s second luxury hotel in the world, but is set to wow just as much as its sister hotel in the States.
Seen as one of China’s most opulent and vibrant cities, Shanghai is often referred to as ‘The Paris of the East’, so it feels right that Bellagio would want to lay roots with its
ultra-luxury nametag here, but the design brief was for something a little different to its all-singing, all-dancing counterpart.
The Bellagio brand takes its name from the Italian municipality, Bellagio, located on the spectacular Lake Como, while the Bellagio Shanghai is located in the Bund district, which exudes the elegance and glamour of the city’s period of greatest cosmopolitan excess – the 1930s.
Wimberly Interiors, the team behind the hotel’s luxury look, have created a design narrative that captures the style, culture, and heritage of the surrounding neighbourhoood while incorporating subtle nods to the brand’s Italian provenance.
There has been extra care taken over the tiniest of details for this project to ensure the elegance of the brand is infused throughout the hotel using luxurious, bespoke materials, but not so much that it deters from the hotel’s setting, which is where WATG and Wimberly Interiors have come into their own.
Working alongside Bellagio, the design teams, led by Oz Ekvirayakul, were able to produce sensitive yet dynamic spaces that balance the cultural and architectural heritage of Shanghai with a bit of Bellagio sparkle.
Clad in warm beige granite stone and accented with bronze metal and stone ornamental elements, the architecture is a reference to its location near The Bund district.
At its southern side, the ten-storey hotel follows the direction of the adjacent Suzhou River in a rhythmic movement of stepped façades and vertical towers.
The towers and grand porte cochère are punctuated by a procession of elegant Art Deco-inspired columns, while a signature tower highlights the front corner of the building.
The rooms and suites have been designed to maximise the panoramic views of the Pudong skyline and famous waterfront.
The two-storey high lobby features an impressive grand staircase, handcrafted with Italian white marble, and highlighted by a custom chandelier constructed from precious Czech crystals with a shimmering crystal wall behind the reception area.
Guestrooms are another example of the overall design concept of classic luxury accented with Art-Deco detailing. From stitched leather headboards to marble floors, black lacquer walls, and sumptuous upholstery from floor to ceiling.
The hotel is complemented by a contemporary-designed multi-level Chinese restaurant, complete with vintage steamer trunks and signature red chandeliers. The walls are adorned with leather that has been hand embroidered with silk, and private dining rooms, with three separate design schemes allow for guests to lose themselves in the sheer luxury of the space.
The grand ballroom opens onto a stunning three-storey high, cascading crystal waterfall chandelier. The design for Bellagio Shanghai also encompasses over 2,000-square meters of retail space, a ballroom opening onto a three-storey high, cascading crystal waterfall chandelier, a rooftop viewing lounge, and a spa with an indoor pool and fitness facilities.
“Between the 1920s and the 1940s, the city embraced the East meets West aesthetic in object design, fashion, and architecture. Art deco has been interpreted around the world as a style to express progress, innovation, and modernity.” Says Oz Ekvirayakul, Associate Vice President and Creative Director of Wimberly Interiors.
THPT Comment: What a fab tribute to art-deco…only provided by Bellagio…in Shanghai – how fitting
First Seen: Hotel Space Online