The Peninsula Shanghai: Rooms, Rates & How to Book
The only new hotel built on the Bund in more than sixty years — and it was built to look like it had always been there.
By Biirdee Travel — Luxury Travel Concierge · Updated August 11, 2026
When The Peninsula Shanghai opened in 2009 at the northern end of the Bund, it was the first new building permitted on that waterfront in over sixty years — and the brief was to make it disappear into the 1920s streetscape around it. The Art Deco exterior, the lobby's inlaid floors, the brass and lacquer detailing: all new, all convincingly period. Guests routinely assume it is a restoration.
The position is the argument. You are on the Huangpu waterfront at the quiet end, with the colonial-era banking houses on one side and the former British Consulate gardens on the other, looking across at Pudong's skyline. For a first visit to Shanghai, it is the address that makes the city legible.
Rooms, and Why the Bund View Wins
The hotel has roughly 235 rooms — large by any standard, with the deepest bathtubs and the fullest expression of the brand's in-room technology, including the valet box and the bedside control panels. Deco detailing runs throughout: sunburst inlays, chrome fittings, a general sense that the 1930s never ended.
Room categories split between city-facing and Bund-facing, and the premium for a Bund or Grand Deluxe river-view room is money well spent — you get the Huangpu, the ferry traffic and the Pudong towers lighting up at dusk. Many river-view categories carry a small private balcony, which is rarer on this waterfront than you would expect.
The Peninsula Shanghai at a Glance
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Opened | 2009 — the last new building raised on the Bund |
| Location | No. 32 The Bund, at the Suzhou Creek end |
| Rooms | Roughly 235, plus long-stay residences |
| Typical rates | From ~US$450–600 per night |
| Dining | Yi Long Court (Cantonese, Michelin-starred), Sir Elly's and its rooftop terrace, The Lobby |
| Signature | Art Deco throughout, Bund-front balconies, the Peninsula Arcade |
Sir Elly's, Yi Long Court and the Terrace
Sir Elly's occupies the top floors — named for Sir Elly Kadoorie, of the family that has owned the company since the beginning — and its terrace is the best rooftop on the Bund, angled straight at Pudong. Book the terrace for a drink before dinner rather than after; the light between 6 and 7pm does the work.
Yi Long Court is the serious meal: Cantonese cooking that has held Michelin recognition since the guide arrived in Shanghai, in a room that feels like a private club. Downstairs, the Peninsula Arcade runs the luxury retail the brand builds into most of its hotels, and the spa and pool sit on the upper floors with river light coming in.
The Peninsula Shanghai FAQs
Should I stay on the Bund or in Pudong?
The Bund, for a first visit — you are in the historic city, walking distance from the Rockbund galleries, Nanjing Road and the former French Concession by short taxi. Pudong hotels give you the higher view but put you across the river from everything with texture.
Is The Peninsula Shanghai a historic building?
No — it opened in 2009 and was the first new construction on the Bund in more than sixty years. The Art Deco architecture is a deliberate, and very convincing, period piece rather than a restoration.
How much does The Peninsula Shanghai cost?
Entry rooms generally run about US$450–600 a night, with Bund-facing categories carrying a meaningful premium. It is one of the softer-priced hotels in the portfolio for the quality delivered.
Is the rooftop open to non-guests?
Yes — Sir Elly's Terrace takes outside bookings and fills quickly in good weather. Reserve ahead for sunset, and note the terrace closes in the coldest months.
What Biirdee Does
A concierge travel agency — paid by the hotel, never by you
Biirdee Travel books luxury hotels through preferred-partner programs: you pay the same rate as booking direct, the partner benefits attach to your reservation, and a human concierge handles the details end to end.
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Biirdee · Preferred Partner
Book The Peninsula Shanghai
Bund-facing rooms with balconies, a Yi Long Court table and the terrace at sunset — same rate as direct, with PenClub-grade benefits attached.
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