The much-anticipated Twelve at Hengshan, A Luxury Collection Hotel, was unveiled last week on Shanghai’s tree-lined Hengshan Road.

Twelve at Hengshan is the only five-star luxury hotel within Shanghai’s most romantic and history-filled Hengshan Road neighborhood of chic avenues lined with plane trees imported from France in the early 1900s.

Carefully incorporated within the low-rise heritage district, the hotel comprises a five-storey rectangular building surrounding an elliptical internal garden.

The façade is dressed in more than 20,000 natural terracotta tiles baked and imported from Italy, a popular trimming on many of the historic buildings in the area.

At the heart of the hotel, a traditional Chinese ‘Secret Garden’ for hotel guests enhances Twelve at Hengshan’s unique character and soothing Zen ambience including imported trees and flowing streams.

The distinctive interiors were created by hospitality design duo Yabu Pushelberg, who also designed the St Regis San Francisco and W New York – Times Square.

The interiors of Twelve at Hengshan mix cultures and timelines in an “East meets West, Past meets Present” style. A soft, natural color palette is offset by bespoke Chinese and contemporary furnishings. Hand-painted Oriental screens, silk lanterns and latticework add a distinctive Oriental flourish.

Stylish design and thoughtful touches create an atmosphere of distinguished opulence in the 171 guestrooms and suites, including a 338 sqm Presidential Suite.

All of the rooms feature large windows overlooking the peaceful Secret Garden or vibrant cityscape, while over half have spacious private balconies looking inwards across the Garden courtyard.

Garden motifs carry into the guestrooms giving them a fresh and comforting feel. Large marble bathrooms feature deep-soaking tubs and Hermes bath products in the suites.

Wellbeing facilities are a highlight of Twelve at Hengshan, including the largest Spa out of all Starwood properties in Shanghai, heated indoor pool and fitness centre.

The large indoor pool is in a magnificent cave-like setting with three Jacuzzis and is lit by roof panels filtering natural light from the lush Secret Garden above.

The hotel boasts two signature restaurants – the all-day brasserie Tops & Terrace serving Mediterranean cuisine and the Chinese restaurant, 12 Hengshan, offering a fresh take on Shanghainese cuisine with essences of Cantonese cooking.

The hotel also offers 14,025sq ft (1,303sq m) of meeting space including a ballroom, pre function area, two VIP banquet rooms and six meeting rooms.

As part of the Luxury Collection service, Twelve at Henghan offers guests exclusive tours to visit the hidden gems of Shanghai’s most romantic neighborhood.

www.luxurycollection.com