Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund

The Waldorf-Astoria's Shanghai property is relatively new as a hotel, but the building that houses it is a Shanghai icon. It began in 1910 as the Shanghai Club, a British social organization that admitted only wealthy white males. For a while the club was famous for being home to the longest bar in the world. It was a 34-meter-long plank of mahogany. Even this posh watering hole had hierarchy the prime seats closest to the windows were for the taipans, or business executives, and bank managers. Each step further down the bar was another rung lower on the social ladder. In 1941, the club was closed and occupied by the Japanese. Eventually, in 1949, it was acquired by the Chinese government. It underwent several incarnations thereafter, among them a club for international sailors, a state-owned hotel and it was even home to the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in Shanghai for a spell. Hilton Worldwide took over management of the property in 2010 and designated it a Waldorf-Astoria property. The heritage portion of the hotel remains stunning. They've restored the Long Bar, and it is one of the more atmospheric places to get a drink in town. The hotel also boasts a beautiful, fully functional antique Otis elevator.

Room prices in the Waldorf run quite a broad range. One of its 260 standard rooms in the new tower goes for CNY 2,000 to 4,000 per night. Suites in the heritage building will set you back anywhere between CNY 5,800 and 87,000 per night (all prices are tax excluded).