Shanghai is seen as the birthplace of everything considered modern in China, and the Peace Hotel now towered over by sleek glass skyscrapers prepares to blend the modern with the classic.

By the end of the year, the port city will have 4,500 more luxury hotel rooms. In two years there will be 16 more luxury hotels.

Just across the river, on the eastern bank of the Huangpu, is the Grand Hyatt Hotel, occupying floors 54 to 87 of Jinmao Tower, the world's fourth tallest building.

From those vertigo-inducing heights, the Peace Hotel, dwelling in the tower's shadow, must seem like an ancient dwarf.

For proprietor Jinjiang International, China's largest hotel operator, the Peace Hotel is its most prestigious property and most profitable, with 78 percent occupancy rate last year for its 363 rooms.

State-owned Jinjiang plans to carry out an extensive renovation of the hotel to prevent it from losing its reputation as one of the most prestigious addresses in Shanghai.

Although connoisseurs of old times fear the impending renovations might cost the hotel a lot of old-world charm, others feel its history is an advantage in modern Shanghai.

"The Peace Hotel should not follow the modern way; it must maintain its classic style. Of course it is necessary to renew the equipment, but the layout of the building should be maintained," said Zhao Renrong, secretary general of the Shanghai Branch of China Tourist Hotels Association.

"The Peace Hotel has three advantages that makes it competitive: it has one of the best locations in Shanghai, it has a history of about 80 years and a unique style, like for example the old jazz band," said Zhao.

Source:佚名