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| Kerry Hotel Pudong |
I visited China last November as a guest from Australia
to attend the China International Travel Mart in Shanghai. I was fortunate to end my two
week visit by staying at the luxurious Kerry Hotel Pudong, which is part of the Shangri-La Group of hotels, and was recently opened
in 2011.
During my two week China visit I stayed in seven
different 5-Star hotels, and I can honestly say that the Kerry Hotel Pudong was
the best of them all. I could not fault my wonderful guest room, the meals in
the restaurants, and the many leisure facilities provided.
What impressed me the most about the Kerry Hotel Pudong
was its general ambiance - it had a modern, lively, and welcoming atmosphere.
Yes, it definately is 5-Star luxury, but not in a boring refined manner. I
felt that I could truly relax and enjoy the experience of staying there. After
a hectic two weeks in China that was exactly what I was looking for. The
friendly, enthusiastic staff made me feel at home. I noticed that the guests
from many other countries around the world were also treated exceptionally well. The staff spoke excellent English which made communications
very easy.
Location
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| Kerry Hotel Pudong Lobby |
The location of the Kerry Hotel is perfect. It is located
in Pudong, Shanghai, but away from the hustle and bustle of riverside Pudong.
It is next to a large shopping mall with many boutique shops, restaurants,
coffee shops and a food mart.
The Kerry Hotel Pudong borders the Shanghai New
International Expo Centre (S.N.I.E.C.). The previous week I had attended the
China International Travel Mart at S.N.I.E.C., but as I stayed at another
distant hotel and was bussed in and out each day, I did not realise the Kerry
Hotel Pudong was right next door. Being so close makes it the ideal Hotel for
anyone to stay in who is participating in or attending an exhibition at
S.N.I.E.C., as it is only a short walk away. It would be so convenient to pop
back to the Kerry Hotel Pudong to escape the crowds at the Expo Centre for a
snack, meal, drink, spa or swim.
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| My View Overlooking Century Park |
Diagonally opposite the Kerry Hotel Pudong is Century
Park, the largest park in Shanghai. If I had more time I would have spent time exploring the ornamental lakes, bike paths and the British,
Japanese, and Chinese gardens in the park. My guestroom overlooked Century Park
towards the skyscrapers of Pudong in the distance. I did not get the hemmed in
feeling, with panoramic views from the expansive floor to ceiling windows of my
guest room overlooking the park and the other surrounding modern low rise
buildings.
Transport
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| Kerry Hotel Shuttle Bus |
It is very easy to travel to other destinations from the
Kerry Hotel Pudong using the efficient Shanghai
Metro underground rail system, as the Hotel is next to the Huamu Road
Station on the orange Line 7. It is only 3 stops to the Shanghai Science and
Technology Museum, 7 stops to East Nanjing Road, 8 stops to Peoples Square and
12 stops to the Pudong International Airport.
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| The Maglev Train I Rode to Airport |
My stay at the Kerry Hotel Pudong concluded my visit to
China, so I needed go to the Pudong International Airport to catch my overnight
flight back to Australia. I had heard about the amazing Maglev fast train, but
had never experienced it in the past. I could have easily taken the Metro train
to to board the Maglev train at the Long Yang Road Station, as it was only the
next Station away on Line 7. Instead the Hotel kindly provided a Shuttle Bus to
take me to this Station. The Maglev train took only 7 minutes to smoothly travel
the 30 km to reach the Airport Station, reaching a top speed of 431 km/h.
Guest Room
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| My Club Premier Parkview Room |
I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I had been
upgraded to stay in a stylish modern Club Premier Parkview Room. This room was huge and offered me all the
spacious comfort that I could ever desire. I did not measure it, but I read
that it was actually a massive 69 sqm. A
welcome pot of hot green tea, a box of yummy chocolates, a large fresh fruit
bowl and a bottle of wine greeted me when I entered the room.
The sleeping area had a huge king-
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| My Room Lounge Area |
sized bed that I could
stretch out on without touching any of the edges, with a choice of pillows
provided. I chose to leave the block-out curtains open so that I could fall
asleep viewing the distant skyscrapers and night sky.
The extensive living and seating area provided a large
flat screen LCD television that offered satellite and cable TV stations and
in-house movies. An iPod docking station and sound system was also available
for use.
An office area with executive desk and chair was the
ideal space to complete my business tasks and provided complimentary wired and
wireless broadband Internet access. A multi-plug socket was handy to connect my
laptop computer to. An International Direct Dial dual line telephone and Voice
Mail were available
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| Luxurious Bathroom |
The refreshment area provided tea and coffee making
facilities and a mini-bar that was well stocked with complimentary beverages
and snacks, including two bottles of craft beer from the Hotels own
micro-brewery, the BREW.
The separate marble bathroom was huge and had a glass
enclosed bath and separate shower. An extensive array of luxurious bathroom
amenities were provided in the bathroom, some of which I used during my
overnight stay and some I brought back to my children in Australia. There was
also a second TV in the bathroom to watch while taking a bath.
My Club Premier Parkview Room provided a depth of luxury and relaxation
that I had not experienced previously in Shanghai.
Club Lounge
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| Club Lounge |
As I had been upgraded to a Club Premier Parkview Room, I
had access to the Club Lounge. This was a relaxing space offering comfortable
lounges, billiards room, computer room and meeting rooms. A wonderful breakfast
was provided in the morning and complimentary refreshments were available
throughout the day and evening..
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| Club Lounge |
The Kerry Hotel Pudong excels in the range and quality of
food that it serves in its various dining options. Features of the Kerry Hotel
Pudong that make it stand out from other 5-star hotels are The COOK, The BREW and The MEET. Each of these has its
own distinctive character and specialities.
The COOK
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| The COOK |
For lunch both days I dined at The COOK, the hotel’s main
all-day dining restaurant that consists of 11 live designer theatre kitchens.
The open kitchens feature different styles of food from various nations
including the Western Kitchen (Pasta Kitchen & Butcher’s Block),
Japanese Grill (Tempura and Sushi/Sashimi Kitchen), Wok & Steam Basket
Kitchen, Organic Vertical Salad Bar, Indian Kitchen, Asian BBQ Kitchen, Asian
Noodle Shop, Orchard Deli, Patisserie, Wine Cellar & Cheese Vault,
Coffee Bar and Beverage Bar. Each show kitchen has its own specialty Chef and
team of cooks that provide inspiring dining experiences using in-season
produce from local and overseas growers
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| The COOK |
The COOK uses an innovative card
ordering system, where diners, choose dishes from one or more of the 11
kitchens. On both days that I dined at The COOK, I browsed the extensive menus at
each of the kitchens and chose my dishes from 5 of them. My card was swiped,
the chefs prepared the dishes and they were brought to my table by waiters in
casual but stylish denim uniforms. My taste buds loved the fresh flavours of the
food, which had an uncomplicated, authentic homemade approach to it. I
especially loved BBQ skewers, smoothies, and scrumptious desserts.
The BREW
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| The BREW beer vats |
The BREW is a pub-style venue at the Kerry Hotel Pudong.
In the afternoon I enjoyed a personal tour of The BREW by Leon Mickelson, its
knowledgeable resident brew-master originally from New Zealand. Leon then guided me on a wine tasting
session of the specialty home-crafted beers he brewed on the premises. The
tasting consisted of six wonderful handcrafted beers that varied in color, taste and
intensity, and a cider, which I liked best of all. These tours and tastings are
available to any guest, and I can thoroughly recommend them.
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| Hand-crafted beers ready for tasting |
I returned to The BREW to relax later that evening with
one of the special hand-crafted beers in the lively ambience of the casual
surroundings to enjoy listening to the music of the live 3 piece band playing
and singing. I also wandered by The COOK Lounge’s elegant setting, but did not
try its wide selection of drinks and cocktails. I observed many other guests
relaxing here after their day of meetings or sightseeing.
The MEET
The MEET is a casual-yet-stylish contemporary house and
grill at the Kerry Hotel Pudong. I had intended to dine there on the evening of
my over-night stay, however I had such a beaut lunch at The Cook and a
wonderful array of complimentary refreshments in the Club Lounge that I was not
hungry. I will have to dine there the next time I stay at the Kerry Hotel
Pudong to experience the high quality Angus steaks they import and age on the
premises from Australia.
The other dining option at the Kerry Hotel Pudong that I
did not experience this visit was Blossoms, the exclusive collection of private
dining rooms that offered authentic Cantonese and other Chinese specialities.
Kerry Sports
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| Kerry Sports |
What impressed me most about the Kerry Hotel Pudong was
its extensive array of leisure options. Here I spent most of the time inside
the hotel utilising these leisure facilities, unlike other hotels I stayed in,
where I went out for most of the day and evening, and only returned to sleep at
night.
I enjoyed swimming in the the Kerry Hotel Pudong's huge
indoor heated swimming pool and spa. There is also a vitality pool and
children’s splash pool.
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| Kerry Sports Indoor Pool |
For relaxation I often dropped into the jacuzzi, sauna
and steam room that were located next to the gym. Here I was impressed by the
attentive staff who cleaned and refreshed the supplies, dried the floors,
replaced the towels and robes and provided cold water drinks.
Other facilities available at the Kerry Pudong Hotel that
I did not use on this visit included a basketball court, tennis court,
children's play area and a rooftop garden with a jogging track.
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| Kerry Sports |
Kerry Sports is a huge 8,000 sqm, gym and and recreation centre, operating 24
hours a day. It is the largest gym in Shanghai. On the morning of my departure
I went to the gym for a workout session with a personal trainer. An admission -
I have never been to a gym before. I was booked in for a three hour session,
but I was exhausted after just 30 minutes. After short bursts on several of the
pieces of equipment I took my leave and went for a relaxing swim, sauna and
jacuzzi. I was impressed with the trainer's emphasis on warming up, stretching
and cooling down after my session.
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| Steam Room and Jacuzzi |
The gym at Kerry Sports has more than 80 pieces of
state-of-the-art exercise equipment. It
spans different activity zones - the "Iron Man" cardio,
functional & personal training and strength circuit, free weights, four
exercise studios for aerobics, spinning, yoga, hot yoga and Pilates with
Reformer bed.
Day Spa
Late on the evening of my stay I went to the Spa for a
relaxing one hour massage. From the many options available I chose the Aroma
Massage, a spa-styled full body massage with fragrant oils that provided
light-pressured kneading at a soothing pace. This was a new experience for me,
as must admit that I have never been to a spa before. It was most relaxing, and
I appreciated the professionalism of the masseuse. The spa offers various
treatments, including its signature Wushu Body Wisdom Massage, body polishes
& wraps, wellness massages and facials.
Children’s Adventure Zone
It is good that the Kerry
Pudong Hotel caters for children with its Adventure Zone, a 700 sqm children's
indoor playground and recreation centre with various age-appropriate play zones
and games for toddlers and older children. The main attraction at Adventure
Zone is its three heart-racing slides: Hyperglide Astra Slide; Double Drop
Slide; and Tri-level Demon Drop Slide and mini-climbing wall. There are
three-themed party rooms- Jungle, Pirate Ship and Circus Circus, that make the
perfect party venues.
Conclusion
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| The BREW |
My only disappointment with my stay at the Kerry Hotel
Pudong was that I did not stay there long enough. Whereas I had stayed two or
three nights on other hotels in China, I only stayed the one night at the Kerry
Hotel Pudong.
Juan Antonio Samaranch, International Olympic Committee
(IOC) President, declared at the Closing Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Summer
Olympic Games, "I am proud and happy to proclaim that you have presented
to the world the best Olympic Games ever."
He was not saying not that the previous Olympic games were bad. They
were all good. Its just that he thought the Sydney Olympic Games were the very
best of all the games.
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| Kerry Hotel Pudong Entrance |
Similarly, after my two week stay in China I am proud and
happy to proclaim that the Kerry Hotel Pudong is the best 5-star hotel in the
world that I have stayed in ever. It not that the other hotels I stayed in were
bad. Its just that the Kerry Hotel Pudong is the very best of them all, and is
the Hotel that I would wholeheartedly recommend other business and leisure
travellers to stay in when visiting Shanghai China.
I eagerly look forward to returning to the Kerry Hotel
Pudong in the future for a longer stay.
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