The Chinese Art of Hospitality
Peace Hotel doorman by Xavier Girard Lchaîne
Two fascinating hotels and the strong founding figures behind them tell a story of China past and present.
“In the 1920s, Shanghai real estate tycoon Victor Sassoon had a dream to create ‘the most beautiful hotel in the Far East.’ He succeeded in 1929 when the Cathay Hotel opened its doors at 20 the Bund, one of the most commanding addresses on Shanghai’s most important financial corridor. A model of Art Deco architecture and the tallest building in the city at the time, it became an international landmark, visited by dignitaries and celebrities. Imagine Marlene Dietrich breezing into the Cathay Ballroom, Noël Coward penning Private Lives in his suite and Charlie Chaplin greeting press on the stairs. All the while Sassoon presided over his glittering empire from his 10th-floor apartment, unaware of the vicissitudes ahead.”
From Fairmont Magazine
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