December 11, 2007

Asia | China | Shanghai

Eco-Sleeping in Shanghai

By Steven Crook

A new hotel brand teaches China — one of the world's most environmentally careless nations — how to count carbon.

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Just as it outstrips the US in greenhouse gas emissions, China is gearing up for its first carbon-neutral hotel. Opening Saturday in the country’s most populous city, URBN Hotel Shanghai (no, that’s not a typo) is the first of 20 boutique boltholes planned by the new hoteliers. Rooted in the “every whim” school of service, the 26-room property ministers the mind, body and spirit: in addition to acupuncture, bespoke tailoring and private courtyard suites, guests are treated to classes in Chinese cooking, Mandarin and tai chi. The offsetting is no greenwash either. To track and offset the energy consumed by the entire hotel — staff commutes and food deliveries included — URBN will work with carbon wholesaler, Climate Bridge.

The developers avoided construction-material miles by reclaiming local materials — a key part of URBN’s chic “touch and texture” style (think split-level hardwood floors, walk-in stone showers and linen curtains). The location, meanwhile — a block from the shopping haven of Nanjing Road (pictured) — is ideal for those who want to walk or rent a hotel bicycle. Even the strictest of eco-cationers can recharge their fuel-cell vehicles at China’s first hydrogen service station, just opened in Shanghai. And if guests still can’t sleep at night, they can call room service and purchase UN-verified carbon credits to offset their flights.