SHANGHAI - Shanghai's 81-year-old landmark Peace Hotel opened its doors to guests on Wednesday after undergoing renovations for three years. The new name of the hotel is Fairmont Peace Hotel.
"We will keep its Chinese name, but the new English name will be Fairmont Peace Hotel as the flagship for Fairmont China," said Yang Weimin, CEO of Shanghai Jinjiang International Hotel Group Co Ltd, which is the owner of the hotel.
|
 The newly-renovated Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai (with green pinnacle) reopened to guests on Wednesday. [Provided to China Daily] |
"It's far more than a hotel. For me, it takes me back to those glory days," said 76-year-old Tang Wuji, who used to be a regular guest at the hotel. "The hotel reminds me of the best time of my life."
| ||||
"We invite people to share with us their stories of the old Peace Hotel," said Kamal Naamani, the general manager. "Whether it is a past menu, souvenir, uniform or pictures of people staying at the hotel, we're interested in featuring it."
The massive restoration, which began in April 2007, cost HK$500 million ($64 million) and took longer than expected due to the research for heritage preservation and attempts to restore the hotel's original look.
"Our heritage preserving expert climbed up to the ceiling and peeled more than five layers of paints to see its true color," said Yang. "It's not about painting the wall. We have to go back and research to see what was the original color of the wall."
"We didn't change much of the hotel's exterior, except the walls and ceilings which now look fresh. Now you have the old building with its characteristics, soul and history, yet with modern amenities," said Naamani.
But the return of the grand entrance atrium, the one that was in the original hotel but destroyed during war, excited guests. The octagonal shaped atrium once again allows natural light to pour through its colorful glass roof.
Other new features include the extension of its West Wing and the addition of a spa.
