Perhaps the Capella Hotel in Shanghai Jianye Li is the epitome of old Shanghai amidst the bustling flowers

The hotel's comprehensive recommendation index: Five stars Hotel frequent traveler membership level: GHA Titanium Gold Overall evaluation: If you can only choose one hotel in Shanghai, it has to be one of the top three ultra-luxury hotels in Shanghai, the Capella, where you can find the elegance of old Shanghai. Apart from not being generous with room upgrades, both the hardware and software are impeccable. Shikumen houses were first built in the 1930s, serving as residences for middle and upper-class merchants and foreigners in Shanghai. From 1945, Shikumen became residential areas for locals, and the narrow alleys became lively. This hotel is entirely converted from a Shikumen western-style house, with all 55 rooms being villas. GHA Titanium Gold members are supposed to be upgraded by two levels, but this hotel has always only upgraded by one level because the next level up is a two-bedroom villa, which is much more expensive. However, upon our arrival, the hotel was not willing to upgrade even by one level, despite many vacancies. After communicating with the front desk, we were upgraded from a Shikumen villa twin room to a Shikumen garden villa twin room as per the usual practice. In fact, these two room types have the same layout, the only difference being that the latter opens to a garden, which is a bit quieter. The room has five floors, and since it is converted from an old Shikumen western-style house, each floor is relatively small. Upon entering, there is a small courtyard, and the living room, which is also the dining room, is right through the door. Behind the living room, there is a washroom under the staircase. The second floor is a media room, where you can watch TV and spend a pleasant afternoon. The TV's projection capability is commendable, and the minibar is rich in variety and includes four kinds of snacks, all free of charge, including T9 tea bags, which are currently the best in hotel tea offerings. The media room also comes with comic books and snacks like hawthorn and White Rabbit milk candies. The third floor is the bedroom, elegantly decorated with a small dressing room. The fourth floor is the washroom, with a full set of Fumaer Mulan summer toiletries, and the razor is a three-blade wooden handle with Gillette foam, very high quality! Having to climb stairs to go to the bathroom at night is one of the few downsides of this hotel, but to me, this is what living in an old western-style house should be like. The fifth floor is a terrace, overlooking the elegant Xuhui district. The welcome fruit is very generous, and the bedtime gift is a steam eye mask. Moreover, the most surprising thing is that the room service had neatly organized my charging cables, with impeccable attention to detail. The hotel does not have an executive lounge; afternoon tea is served in the library, offering fruit, snacks, soft drinks, and cakes, with the yogurt cake being particularly delicious. Capella's traditional nightfall ceremony and breakfast are both held in the hotel's only Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire. It is worth mentioning that the main restaurant of this chain is a Michelin three-star, and with the closure of the Michelin two-star French restaurant Robuchon in Shanghai, it is foreseeable that this restaurant has a great chance of earning two stars in the coming years. Since we had to check out early the next day to go to Disney, breakfast was changed to be available on the day of check-in. The restaurant's offerings are very good, both Chinese and Western. The two drinks and snacks from the nightfall ceremony also had a sense of ritual. The gym and swimming pool are standard, but due to space constraints, the pool is very small and can only be used with artificial waves. The hotel also offers free salt steam and paid flotation pods. Easter egg: Remember to ask for the Bvlgari-style Capella luggage tag when checking out, it's beautifully made of leather.