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Pearls of wisdom for business travellers to the "Pearl of the Orient" from online travel network iloho.com. Guaranteed to knock the socks of your clients and colleagues next time you're in Shanghai.

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Where to stay
•    URBN: This hip boutique is China's first Carbon Neutral hotel. Located in a renovated factory warehouse in the French Concession district, URBN is built from materials such as reclaimed Shanghai hardwoods and old Shanghai brick. Business travellers can sleep easy knowing that there's the option to offset their whole trip to Shanghai at URBN – you can even buy carbon credits for your flights from hotel staff.

•    Park Hyatt Shanghai: This new Shanghai hotel heavyweight occupies the 79th to 93rd floors of the year-old Shanghai World Financial Center, making it the highest hotel in the world. The Park Hyatt Shanghai is right in the heart of the Lujiazui business district, so very convenient for business travellers.

Where to eat
•    Jean Georges: You pay a premium for the views here, but the food, Bund-side location and experience are worth it. Innovative fusion food, attentive service and an impressive wine list. There's a bar too for pre- or post-dinner schmoozing.

•    Shintori: Contemporary-chic meets industrial-glam and results in probably the best Japanese food in the city. Melt-in-the-mouth sushi, throat-burning (but oh-so-good) sake, and a super slick ambience make this a winner.

•    Yè Shanghai: For Shanghainese and Cantonese dishes such as Yum Cha and Dim Sum, step through Ye Shanghai's stone gatehouse and back in time to the 1930s. Check out some of the Xintiandi's buzzing bars whilst you're in the area.

Where to drink
•    The Glamour Bar: Glamorous indeed. Sip on a cocktail and admire the beautiful people and the Bund-a-licious view.

•    Barbarossa: Three floors of middle-Eastern inspired decadence in the middle of People's Park. Reserve a table on the rooftop terrace for maximum impact and enjoy your very own Arabian night.

Best Hotel Bars (in case you don't have time to venture out)
•    Jade on 36 Bar, Pudong Shangri-La: Panoramic views of Shanghai's skyline, dramatic design and incredible cocktails make Jade on 36 a smart choice for hotel-bound business travellers.

•    789 Nanjing Road, Le Royal Méridien: 360-degree Shanghai vistas, fine wines, cocktail and cigars. Enough said.

Where to dance
•    Kee Club: Party at this private members club in a 1920s stone villa. Styled like a private residence, this is where to come if you want to hobnob amongst visiting royalty, heads of state and über-entrepreneurs.

•    M1NT: Mix and mingle with Shanghai's jet set and visiting celebs. Impress your clients, or scare them into signing that deal, with a detour via M1NT's shark filled aquarium.

•    Muse: For a slice of LA's clubbing scene in the Pearl of the Orient, head to mega-club Muse. Three clubs in one = lots of fun.

Where to spa:
•    Dragonfly: With locations across Shanghai and prices that will have you (and your company AmEx) weeping with joy, Dragonfly is the perfect place to get some Zen time. 

•    CHI, The Spa: Restore your chi with treatments based on the Five Elements Theory and Yin and Yang balancing. The spa's Jade Journey treatment is award-winning.


Experience Shanghai:
•    Hu Xin Ting Teahouse: Go for a traditional tea ceremony at this picturesque old tea house. To get there, cross a zig-zagging bridge over a pond bursting with goldfish. Pop next door to the Yuyuan Gardens, one of the most impressive Chinese gardens in the region.

•    Acrobats: Yes, it's touristy, but it doesn't last long and it's pretty breathtaking. 

•    French Concession: Tree lined avenues, French architecture and bars, boutiques and restaurants galore. The perfect place to while away a free afternoon exploring on foot.

•    The Bund: Grand old colonial buildings line the Huangpu River with views across to Pudong's ever-growing high-rise skyline. East-Asia's former financial centre is now home to expensive shops and stylish bars and restaurants. Wander along the river front and soak up a mixture of old and new. Watch the video.

Where to shop:
•    Spin Ceramics: Visit the Spin warehouse for modern, minimalist Chinese ceramics, from metre-tall vases to edgy plates and bowls to chopstick rests.

•    Pearl Market: Indulge your inner magpie at Shanghai's pearl market. Stall-upon-stall and sting-upon-string of pearls and semi-precious stones. You can take them as they are or have them made up into bespoke designs on the spot. A pair of freshwater pearl earrings costs from 5 RMB.

•    Xintiandi: Fashion, interiors, accessories and more in this area of restored shikumen (stone gate) houses and narrow alleys. Pedestrianized and chock-a-block with trendy bars, spas and restaurants.


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