Zhou jinglu/Shanghai Daily news

Standing in the luxurious Presidential Suite at the top of the Pudong Shangri-La, Philippe Caretti, the vice president and general manager of the hotel, says the Shangri-La group has ambitious plans for Shanghai and the rest of China.
At the end of September, the Pudong Shangri-La, Shanghai will celebrate the grand opening of its second tower, bringing its total number of rooms and suites to 981.
The tower, which cost US$135 million to build, will host 375 rooms and suites, a range of trend-setting designer restaurants and bars, another ballroom, a spa, a health club and glassed-in outdoor swimming pool.
There will be 12 restaurants and bars at the hotel, making it easy to find the food you are craving.
Talking about this, Caretti explained that to achieve the goal of operating one of the finest establishments in the world, they worked with international award-winning creative mavericks like Adam Tihany in New York, for the restaurant Jade on 36, Super Potato Design from Tokyo, for the Japanese restaurants Nadaman and Sushi Bar by Nadaman and Bilkey Llinas in Palm Beach for Yi Cafe.
At the Yi Cafe dinners are entertained with a sensory treat as multi-national chefs preside over eight show kitchens. The menu includes the best of Eastern, and Middle Eastern favorites highlighting the flavors of Chinese, Asian, Japanese, Mediterranean, Moroccan and Indian cuisine in all their culinary flair. This reflects one aspect of the new selection of unique concepts in the food and beverage operation.
Chi-The Spa will feature some of the largest and most luxurious private spa suites in the city, creating a "spa within a spa" atmosphere.
Chi will offer a range of specialized body, water, massage and facial therapies based on the ancient healing traditions, philosophies and rituals of China and the Himalayas.
Designed by Hirsh Bedner & Associates, Chi-The Spa will open its doors to the public next month.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts is currently working on two additional projects in Pudong which confirm the group's confidence in the future of this city.
Pudong is expected to face a shortage of five-star hotel rooms by 2007. This was taken into consideration when the group decided to add a second tower to the hotel.
"In the short term, we may see some ups and downs, however, the growth will definitely continue. Trust that the World Expo 2010 will position the city as the economic and financial center of Asia and consequently one of the five megapolis of the world with New York, Paris, London and Tokyo," Caretti said.
Construction on the second tower began at the end of 2001, the year Caretti came to Shanghai and decided to settle down here. Since then, he has steered the hotel to higher levels of achievement, and this year, to its new status as the group's flagship hotel.
With rich experience from working in renowned hotels in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Tokyo, Chicago and Istanbul, the Swiss man joined Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts in 1994, with over 20 years' experience in hotel industry.
In his opinion, Shanghai can not be compared to any other city in China. Shanghai is what we call a city "Hors Concours," he said. It can not be equalled. It is a little bit like New York, no other city in the United States can compare to it.
"Shanghai is a stimulating, vibrant, young and exciting city, where everything is possible. No matter what, Shanghai will never leave its visitors indifferent," he said.
The hotel group hopes to operate four Shangri-La Hotels and a Trader's Hotel in the city by 2010.