InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin

The site is chock full of Shanghai history. It began as the residence of British horse and dog racing magnate Benjamin Morris. Chiang Kaishek proposed to his wife Soong Mei-ling here. Chen Yi, Shanghai's first mayor after the Communist Revolution, kept his office here. For decades, the property was also a state guesthouse used solely for visiting party cadres and foreign dignitaries. As such, it has been host to the likes of party leaders like Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai and the Chairman himself, Mao Zedong. Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh has also stayed here as has former U.S. President Richard Nixon. The grounds themselves are gorgeous -- 100 acres of well-manicured lawns, trees, and a breathtaking water feature feel like an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Two new buildings have been added to the property to house guest rooms, both are faithfully in keeping with colonial British style that dominates the architecture here. The InterContinental group came on board to manage the site in 2013.

Rooms in the Intercontinental Shanghai Ruijin start at around  CNY 1,000/night for a business room. Superior suites go for CNY 2,688/night.