This is the first in a series about Shanghai, China.

• Getting to Shanghai
• Food & Things to See

Shanghai in the People’s Republic of China certainly claims a great deal of accolades and superlatives to it’s arsenal.  Already the most populated city on the planet, it is also the fastest growing allegedly.  The city’s economy is the same size of the whole country of Finland.  It buzzes with a strange “don’t hold me back” atmosphere, seemingly holding it’s oriental nose high to the West quietly whispering “anything you can do …”

Getting there:  American Airlines flies non-stop to Shanghai from Chicago and Los Angeles requiring 35,000 AAdvantage miles each way for an economy Milesaver redemption.  I would recommend Business class for 55k each way … we’re talking about a 14 hour 30 minute flight!  You can also use British Airways Avios on AA, or Cathay Pacific (via Hong Kong), or Japan Airlines (via Tokyo). The AA Citi card can be considered, it has $1,000 spend that will net 30,0000 AAdvantage miles.

I visited Shanghai in the summer of 2010, the year of it’s Expo, and my photos of the skyline (left) while some of best travel photos, were actually easy to capture with a wall to rest the camera on, and a long exposure to create the night drama.

First of all, our visit will remain firmly etched in my memory as one of the most interesting places on my travels.  My wife and I came from Kuala Lumpur into China and were eager to hit the Park Hyatt for six free nights gained by Hyatt’s awesome promotion of 2010.  Make no mistake, this is a hotel to end hotels.  It is jaw-droppingly high for a start.  I took the photo below with an iPhone from the base of the tower.

The hotel occupies the 79th to 92nd floor of the Shanghai World Financial center; the lobby being on the 87th floor.  The top floor hosts one of the world’s highest bars, and happens to have great live entertainment.  The rooms are amazing and truly make you recalibrate your concept of a five star hotel.  The finest Egyptian cotton sheets, a “wet room” bath area, a hologram type TV within the bathroom mirror, and a delicious blueberry cheesecake in your room (fresh one every day!) don’t even begin to describe the luxury appointments in your personal soundproofed heaven.

In my opinion this hotel is one of the if not the best use of the free nights at any Hyatt gained by the Hyatt credit card.  It’s out of this world phenomenal, before I run out of superlatives, the last mention being the pool.  Wow!  It’s an infinity pool in a luxury zen oasis on the 87th floor with the pool edges flowing over and up to the massive floor to ceiling windows in the sky.

Oh … and the rates are just as sky high; probably worth every penny but with a double Hyatt credit card application, four nights will cost you nothing.  Bonuses from two Chase Sapphire cards after the minimum spend will enable you to transfer ultimate reward points to Hyatt and actually add 5 nights in the same hotel.  Now you’ve got 9 nights free, roughly a $6000 value, considering you will gain instant Hyatt Platinum status, and be upgraded to a premium room too!

Here are some resources we’ve put together on Shanghai and travel to China:

• http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1089.html
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html
• http://wikitravel.org/en/Shanghai
• http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/shanghai.htm