The Waterhouse at South Bund, Shanghai

The Waterhouse Shanghai oozes industrial rustic chic. Housed in a three-story building that was once the Japanese Army HQ in the 1930s, this boutique hotel is a shockingly beautiful contrast of old and new. Architects Neri and Hu explain: “This is a hotel that puts the emphasis on the traveller in search of some meaning, and not just the luxury component of living.” Each of the 19 bespoke rooms offers a coffee machine, a minibar, a refrigerator, a seating area with a sofa and more.