The hotel was established in 1846 by the Richard family. It was the very first western-style hotel in China. The Neoclassical Baroque hotel was restored in 1907, making it one of the most deluxe hotels in the whole of China. Situated on 4,580 m² grounds, the hotel has 134 rooms and suites.
The hotel is located at the very center of the city, just sit next to the Huangpu River. It is within walking distance to the famous Bund and Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, the most flourishing shopping center of the city. 2 kms to city centre 18 kms to the airport (hongqiao (domestic)) 60 kms to the airport (pu dong (international)) 3 km to the nearest station (shanghai railway station ) 5 minute walk to the nearest bus stop