The Middle House

In a city often defined by its colonial past, The Middle House is a refreshingly modern—and undoubtedly stylish—addition to the hotel scene.

• The expansive spa and cutting-edge fitness center
• Stylish guest rooms and residences filled with contemporary art
• Excellent restaurants, including an offshoot of the renowned Café Gray Deluxe in Hong Kong.

This newcomer to Shanghai’s hotel scene (opened April 2018) proposes a different approach to exploring the city: What if you could experience the essence of Shanghai, an increasingly cosmopolitan and ultra-modern, design-forward city, in a secluded location?

That is the experience the Swire Hotel group provides with The Middle House, a chic boutique hotel in Jing An, just outside the edges of the Former French Concession and a 20-minute drive to The Bund. The hotel’s name comes from its location being amid historic neighborhoods. As with Swire’s other hotels in China (known as The House Collective), The Middle House was built around a large commercial complex, with boutiques, bars, restaurants and cinemas surrounding it. There’s nothing particularly appealing about the location. That is, unless you want to shop, hang out and perhaps have easy access to the world’s largest Starbucks, situated directly across the street.

The proposition is that the hotel itself is the destination. You know you’ve arrived once you see the impressive 20-foot glass chandelier hanging over the entrance. Designed by an Italian glass art master who trained in Murano, Italy and lives in China, this glittering art piece sets the tone for the rest of the property. The best elements—old meets new and East meets West—mix well here.

The stylish rooms and public spaces at The Middle House are designed by Lissoni, a Milan-based architect who favors sleek, bold lines and clean silhouettes. Striking sculptures and paintings by contemporary Chinese artists are on view throughout, and Chinoiserie armoires and latticed screens can be found in the 111 sleek guest rooms and 102 residences.

Nowhere is this cross-cultural influence more evident than at Café Gray Deluxe**,**the sister restaurant to the highly acclaimed restaurant at The Upper House in Hong Kong. The original branch made its name (and earned a Michelin star) by taking seasonal ingredients and applying them to an elevated European café concept. The Middle House’s other dining options follow a similar ethos. At the Chinese restaurant Sui Tang Li, dim sum comes in the form of a pastry puff; and Yakult, a probiotic drink popular with kids in Asia, can be made into a cocktail.

The hotel’s spa, Mi Xun, is massive at 28,000 square feet and encompasses a large indoor swimming pool, a fitness center with Hypoxi machines (which claim to burn three times more fat), as well as a nail salon and beauty parlor.

Travelers who prefer hip and design-forward hotels in locations more suited to shopping than sightseeing will appreciate The Middle House over a classic and centrally located choice like The Peninsula.