Welcome to the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, a hotel so ambitious, even James Bond villains would say, “Bit much, isn’t it?” If you’ve ever fantasized about sleeping with the fishes (in a good way), or felt that sleeping in a converted quarry was your thing – this is your subterranean Shangri-La. And thanks to GWM, we got the chance to test it out for ourselves.
Location & Concept – Carved into an abandoned quarry on the fringes of Shanghai, the hotel is ingeniously stacked with 18 storeys, 16 of which plunge underground and two that sink completely beneath water. That’s right, you can finally answer the question, “What’s it like to wake up underwater?”
Design & Atmosphere – Arriving at the Wonderland feels like stepping onto the set of a sci-fi epic or a Marvel movie, think spectacular glass waterfalls, raw quarry cliffs, and interiors that elegantly mimic the rugged geology outside your window. Each of the 336 rooms and suites frames the quarry’s sharp backdrop, offering stunning views (unless you’re in the underwater suite, where your morning greeting comes in the form of shoals of fish floating by your personal aquarium glass). It’s the sort of place you’d expect to find sharks with laser beams, but alas, just regular aquatic life for now – albeit some rather large Carp.
The Rooms – Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately as I fear I would be claustrophobic), I didn’t get the underwater suite, in fact my room was on the second floor which was oddly just below the ground and almost at the top when look up from the bottom (yes I know that makes no sense). To explain a little further, I do spend more than my fair share in hotels, so to go UP to get to the ground floor restaurant and go down 12 floors to the observation deck was confusing.
The room itself is spacious and well kitted out, with a raft of power sockets, reasonably quick internet (however Google is a no-no), large and comfy bed with pure-white cotton sheets and soft pillows and a bathroom with a stand alone bath, dual-head shower and an electric toilet.
Insulation is good, both from the outside and next door and each room (aside from those underwater I assume) come with a large balcony, with views into the quarry. The quarry itself features a waterfall, and a view of the theme park located beside.
Experiences: Boredom? As likely as accidentally inventing a new element. Guests can venture out for some rock climbing, kayak on the quarry lake, or tiptoe across a skywalk with a glass floor, a perfect exercise if you need to test the limits of your heart rate. By night, a neon spectacle of lasers and drones lights up the quarry and sky, (it’s a fantastic light show telling the story of monsters and fisherman) and yes, you can sip an expertly mixed cocktail in the Quarry Bar, staring into the abyss like a true aristocrat of the deep.
The Price of Entry: I believe a night here could set you back nearly $1800, call it the price of novelty, luxury, and a few adrenaline spikes.
Would I call this the world’s greatest adaptive reuse project, or a Bond villain’s fever dream come to (submerged) life? Maybe Both. If your idea of rest involves facing primal geological forces, peering out vitrines at passing carp, and enjoying five-star comfort with a hint of existential risk, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland awaits. If not, there’s always the hotel bar. The staff are soo attentive and the food is great (albeit they could do with changing the buffet offerings a tad).
Verdict: 4.5/5 stars. It’s the coolest hotel you’ll find beneath the Earth’s surface, where adventure flows as freely as the daily light show, and the only thing shallower than your wallet after checkout are the jokes about sharks with laser beams. One last thing, it is a fair way out from the city (around 1.5 hours) but thankfully cabs are cheap.
