With many of us still a little awed by Raffles OWO in London, we were quite excited to hear that Accor has announced plans for it’s Raffles brand to take over the current Fairmont Peace Hotel.
For those who do not know it, this hotel on the Bund in Shanghai was originally built by British businessman and hotelier Sir Victor Sassoon as Sassoon House and then opened as the Cathay Hotel in 1929. It is a legendary part of the Shanghai waterfront that has seen history flow past and through it doors. I remember first going there in 1990 at a time when China was a very closed place and even then it has the echoes of grandeur. In more recent years it has regained much of its former glory as a Fairmont hotel, but the move to the Raffles group should take it to another level. Which frankly it deserves.
Accor has said the property the hotel will remaining open during the works with the rebranding scheduled to take effect in 2027, and that “guests and the local community can look forward to an experience of elegant splendor, marked by fine art and design, extraordinary cuisine, and bespoke service”.
Raffles Peace Hotel Shanghai is a good illustration of how this ultra luxury brand is expanding, with the recently opened Raffles Sentosa Singapore and Raffles London at the OWO.
Omer Acar, CEO, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, said: “This magnificent hotel is a precious gem and a landmark in an all-important destination. As the stewards of such an iconic property, we are exceptionally proud to guide it into a glamorous new era with Raffles, and honored to embark on the next chapter of our relationship with Jinjiang International Group, our valued partner.”
Now I just need to find a reason to visit Shanghai in 2027!