The “Multinational Apartments” of the Past—Hengshan Hotel

昔日的“万国公寓”衡山宾馆

Originally the Picardie Apartments， the Hengshan Hotel Shanghai is located in the southwest of Shanghai， on the oriental “Champs Elysees” — Hengshan Road.

In 1935， the modern stylish Picardie Apartments was finished and it was the tallest building in the southwest of Shanghai. It had a concrete reinforced structure and a simple facade of cement rendering. There were 16 floors in the central part of the building， and the two attached wings were built in the shape of a descending staircase， with the number of floors decreasing from 13 to 12， then to 8. The building was acknowledged as a piece of modern art at the time. It was grand and magnificent， and resembled an eagle looking from a distance.

In 1955， the Picardie Apartment was renamed the Hengshan Guest House and was managed by the heads of the Foreign Experts Department of the Shanghai Government. The guest house accommodated many experts from the former Soviet Union. In 1957， the guest house was renamed the Hengshan Hotel and was managed by the Government Offices Administration of the Shanghai Municipality.

In 1988， Hengshan Group was established, as one of the six top hotels in Shanghai， Hengshan Hotel became a member of it and commenced accommodating domestic and overseas Chinese as well as tourists from all over the world. Since 1978， the hotel has been renovated completely three times. In 2009, it became a well-known five-star rated business hotel. While taking full use of all the available space， the original appearance and style was retained during the renovation, along with the 232 spacious and comfortable standard rooms， administrative rooms and administrative suites. This spaciousness and brightness is a distinguishing feature of the hotel. The particularly spacious three and five-room suites have a 70-square-meter rectangular living room， a 30-square-meter bedroom， and a 20-square-meter bathroom. It conveys to guests a homelike feeling. The deluxe Spanish and Chinese Suites， adjacent to the central elevator hall， are furnished with mahogany and are diversely decorated in either elegant contemporary European style， or antique traditional Chinese style. The perfect blend of Chinese and Western culture gives the hotel its distinctive beauty.

The hotel has eight conference rooms and fifteen Western and Chinese style restaurants. The ceiling painting on the Christian theme， the stained Gothic windows and the carved handrails on the doors are superb and elegant. Besides the charming and beautiful décor， the delicacies of Huaiyang， and Sichuan cuisines offered by the various restaurants， together with the thoughtful services， are attracting guests from around the world.

Time flies and the Hengshan Hotel has been standing there for more than seventy years. The hotel was renovated several times. Each time it has improved in ways attuned to its own conditions， the historical and cultural value， and the needs of the market. There is a Chinese verse which states that “the high mountains of Hengshan in south China are 800 miles wide. The ridges and peaks are straight and the scenery is spectacular and majestic”. Historically Hengshan is known as “the mountain of long life”. An old Chinese saying goes that “Live as long as the mountains in the South （i.e. Hengshan）”. Today， Hengshan hotel not only keeps its image as a historical hotel with modern facilities and sincere service， but also moves with the times， making every effort to achieve more brilliant achievements.

Hengshan Hotel

Star rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

ADD: 534 Hengshan Road， Shanghai 200030， China

TEL: 86-21-64377050

FAX: 86-21-64335732

WEB: www.hotelhengshan.com