Luxury in the clouds: Shanghai opens world's highest hotel

The world's highest luxuryhotel, boasting a restaurant on the 120th floor and 24-hour personal butler service, has opened in Shanghaito guests with deep pockets and a head for heights.

Elevators whizz guests up the intimidating spiral-like skyscraper at ear-popping speeds of 18 metres per second to the JHotel's 165 opulent rooms.

Thehoteloccupies the top floors of the 632-metre (more than 2,000 feet) Shanghai Tower in the city's financial district, the second-tallest building in the world after Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

Guests are seen in the J Hotel, the world's highest luxury hotel, boasting a restaurant on the 120th floor and 24-hour personal butler service, located in the Shanghai Tower, in Shanghai. Image Credits: AFP

View of Jin Yan restaurant in the J Hotel, the world's highest luxury hotel, boasting a restaurant on the 120th floor and 24-hour personal butler service, located in the Shanghai Tower. Image Credits: AFP

Its opening was delayed partly by the coronavirus pandemic but thehotelhas now started receiving well-heeled guests who can call on the services of a dedicated butler at any hour, day or night.

Patrons can also enjoy one of thehotel's seven restaurants, bars, spa, 84th-floor swimming pool, and all the other usual trappings of a top-notchhotel.

It does not come cheap. To celebrate its opening JHotelis offering a "special experience rate" of 3,088 yuan ($450) a night, but prices for its 34 suites sky-rocket.

A night in a "J Suite", complete with crystal chandeliers and sauna, this Saturday costs over 67,000 yuan.

Thehotelis part of Jin Jiang International Hotels, a major Chinese state-owned group, and officially opened on Saturday.

"On the day of our opening even the web page was overloaded with so many visitors with strong interest and they have such (a) strong will to come and experience ourhotel," said Renee Wu, sales and marketing director.

"Of course this is very encouraging to all of us, but at the same time, we are committed to making sure that all our guests are well taken care of."