Lapis Casa Boutique Hotel by Brent Hannon

Most folks in Shanghai know about Lapis Lazuli Italian restaurant and its downstairs house-wares shop, both of them filled with the eye-catching kitchen creations of Roy Wei, brother of owner Judy Wei. Now Roy and Judy have opened Lapis Casa in a superb location in Xin Tian Di, Shanghai’s famous gastronomic neighbourhood. Once a Forestry Bureau building, the cosy brick property was given a 21st century upgrade by Roy, whose design artfully combines old Shanghai with a splash of the Spanish Mediterranean.

Taiwanese-owned Lapis Casa has a classy courtyard and a pocket-sized lobby filled with genuine antiques, along with replicas and lamps created by Roy Wei. The old building oozes character – in the halls and stairwells, stained glass windows send shafts of multi-coloured light dancing into the corridors, while the Mediterranean touches are evident in the arched doorways and tile floors of the 18 room mini-boutique.

Inside the rooms, plush velvet curtains add a touch of fin de siecle glamour, while the four-poster canopy beds, elegant desk-and-lamp combos, marble basins and claw foot bathtubs evoke concession-era opulence, brought right up to date with wireless Internet, plasma TV and complimentary minibar. Most of the rooms overlook leafy Huaihai Park, a quiet setting for such a centrally located hotel.

On the ground floor, Tian Jia Japanese restaurant serves slabs of super-fat toro sashimi and other rising sun delights, while next door at Lukang restaurant, guests can eat Taiwanese soul food like beef noodle soup and oyster omelet. Lapis Casa has also forged a relationship with the nearby Alexander gym, which hotel guests can use.