Breakaway – New Hotels to KIV

Zendai Hotel Yin, Shanghai. With its inexplicably pretentious name and deeply designer looks, this hotel probably spells ‘H-O-M-E’ for the so-cool-so-intellectual-it-hurts culture vulture crowd who loves things chinois.

Facilities include a TCM centre, Chinese tea house, 24 hour butler service (but of course!), and deliciously profound activities like poetry appreciation, calligraphy, painting, folk music, tea ceremony and floral arrangement which the ordinary masses are too common and coarse to appreciate. Zendai Hotel Yin sits atop the Himalayas Centre, which also incorporates the Zendai Art Hotel, art museum, etc. Gorgeous hotel, perfect for the culturally superior.

1108 Meihua Road, Pudong, Shanghai

Hilton Lake Taupo, New Zealand. Let’s be honest – supremely luxe hotels are not that thick on the ground in New Zealand. So when we got this info that Lake Taupo has opened its ‘first upscale international hotel’ well into the 21st century, we thought it’s worth eyeballing. See the nice picture? With just over 100 rooms and apartments, this pretty hotel spans a Mountain Wing and a Heritage Wing (which used to be another hotel called Terraces) built at the turn of the century …err, the last century that is! It promises panoramic views over Lake Taupo – which is the size of Singapore - and the volcanic mountains of Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand’s largest ski field. What to do there? Go fish for trout, golf, wallow in thermal pools, trek around the hills and stuff (ditch your Manolos), ride horses, ski and go boating. Three hours out of Auckland and possibly surrounded by salmon, this place is not for everyone - rather the earth mothers and nature girls among us and those who have a penchant for wearing checkered shirts.

80-100 Napier Taupo Highway,

Taupo, New Zealand 3330
Tel: 64-7-378-7080

- Ee Waun