City Escape Plan｜Three Days and Two Nights of Staycation at Alila Shanghai

For this holiday, I originally didn’t want to go anywhere, but staying at home too long was just too boring. I thought about having a staycation within Shanghai to change the environment and relax my mind. I recalled the days at Alila Ubud last year—the tranquility surrounded by rice fields and morning mist. After searching, I found out there’s actually an Alila in Shanghai, right next to Jing’an Temple, so I decisively booked two nights.
It seems to be the only Alila hotel located in the city center.
📍First Impressions at Check-in
The lobby is on the 5th floor, and as soon as the elevator doors open, you can smell a faint lemongrass scent. The room is in light beige tones, with earplugs, an eye mask, and a sleep spray by the bedside. The spray bottle is especially beautiful, with a frosted texture, and the scent it releases is like the massage oils at a Bali spa—fresh and calming.
📍Growing Vegetables and Drinking in the Clouds
Secret Roof is a quiet café during the day and transforms into an atmospheric bar at night. In the afternoon, order a hand-brewed coffee and watch the sunlight pour through the arched glass ceiling onto the old Zhangyuan building; at dusk, try the "Jing’an Sunset" special cocktail while watching the bustling city. The deep red sofa and warm orange lighting, combined with the modern yet vintage arch design, make every photo look great.
The next morning, I discovered a small vegetable garden on top of the hotel lobby, growing mint, basil, and other small herbs. Bartender Allen said their "Jing’an Temple" cocktail uses herbs picked right from here. Around 6 or 7 o’clock, there’s a welcome ceremony offering free cocktails🍹
📍Unexpected Gain from the Gong Meditation Class
I wasn’t very interested in this kind of healing class at first, but hearing it’s been very popular lately, I made a reservation to try it. Maybe because I hadn’t truly relaxed for a long time, the experience was surprisingly good. After the class, the teacher gave me a small packet of incense powder, saying I could place it by my pillow when I have insomnia.
When I got home, my friends said, "Isn’t it silly to spend so much money staying in your own city?" But I feel that sometimes people need this kind of deliberately created "strangeness" to truly pause and take a breath. Now, whenever I pass by Jing’an Temple, I always look up at that building, thinking that if I’m ever in a bad mood, I’ll go stay a night there again—consider it buying a private room for my emotions!

Post by _Eric_27 | May 20, 2025