By LAWRENCE TAN

Old Shanghai meets the new in the Ivy Shanghai, a new boutique hotel that continues the trend of preserving the façade of prominent historical landmarks but giving its interiors a thorough makeover, often with avant-garde designs. 

Housed in a former 1950s cinema in a hip residential area that used to be drab factory landscape, Ivy Shanghai promises to arrest the eye with its ivy-clad exterior, from which the hotel derives its name. At the time of this writing, though, the ivy camouflage is still a work-in-progress.

Designed by American-French designer Dillon Garris, whose most notable exploits include dressing up the five-star Shama brand of serviced apartments in Hong Kong and the home of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, the Ivy Shanghai’s 46 rooms bear the familiar hallmarks of its designer. 

Funky lipstick-red lattice screens, gray brick walls that recalls the alleys of Shanghai, neon-lit rooms and China pop art lend a modern interpretation to traditional Chinese architectural elements.

These thoughtful details can also be seen in the custom-designed furnishings, in the traditional red silk vanity pouches, and in the red cashmere throws. There’s even a 24-hour personal butler assigned to each guest to take care of airport pick-ups, reservations, and all your whims.

Rates begin at RMB 2,288 (or US$335) per person but for this period of the hotel’s soft launch, there’s a special rate that starts from RMB850 (or US$124).

www.ivyshanghai.com