The piazza also contains a distinct piece of Shanghai history: a house where late chairman Mao Zedong resided for several months in 1920 and penned a number of essays. In the future, the Jing'an district government plans to open the "Mao house" to the public as a museum.

A number of other sites of historical interest from early 20th-century Shanghai dot the Jing'an district map. Just a 10-minute drive from the hotel is another house in which chairman Mao once lived that is open to the public. The former residences of the eminent writer Eileen Zhang and iconic actress and singer Zhou Xuan are also easily accessible from the hotel.

Superior accessibility will be paramount to the development's success, William Chan, general manager of the Jing An Kerry Centre, told China Daily.

Situated directly above lines 2 and 7 of the Shanghai metro, the property also offers easy access to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and Shanghai Railway Station.

Within the Jing An Kerry Centre complex, hotel guestrooms occupy the top 29 floors of the 60-story Tower 3 while restaurants are located on the first four levels.

The food and beverage outlets include a Chinese restaurant called Summer Palace, the 1515 West Chophouse & Bar, which specializes in steaks, and an all-day dining restaurant called Cafe Liang & Mezzanine. A Mediterranean restaurant in the piazza area will open later this year.

Spacious guestrooms offer sweeping city views through windows that stretch nearly from floor to ceiling. Bathrooms are equipped with heated marble floors as well as an LCD television and digital clock embedded in the mirror. Guests who choose to stay in the Grand Premier Room or suite category can enjoy even better views from the hotel's Horizon Club Lounge, which occupies the entire 55th floor.

The hotel offers 4,465 sq m of function space and the largest ballroom in western Shanghai, which can accommodate 1,000 people seated.

"Top meeting and event spaces, as well as food and beverage outlets will help us make a strong connection with the local community," Brea says. "Anybody may visit a venue or restaurant once - the trick is to know how to get them to come back."

To accomplish that feat, "you need to show people your heart," he says.