As summer just begins, I found the Spanish-style romance painted by Velázquez in Shanghai's West Suburb. When the moonlight of Granada's Alhambra Palace passes through time and space and falls on the greenery of Hongqiao West Suburb, you realize that some romances never need to cross oceans. This castle, modeled after the legendary palace of Granada, Spain, weaves a Mediterranean dream in Shanghai with its red domes and palm tree shadows.
The architect must have stolen the soul of Spain, making first-time visitors feel as if they've stepped into a Seville oil painting. The beige exterior walls are topped with red terracotta tiles, wrought iron floral carvings entwine the arched window frames, and those horseshoe arches and intricate geometric patterns, along with the Mediterranean sea breeze, are all captured within this 82,000-square-meter palace complex.
The designer borrowed the most intense shade of blue from Spain, splashing a Mediterranean blue. The Ritz Garden is like a jewel nestled among the buildings, its pool water resembling melted cornflowers, reflecting palm trees and sun umbrellas. The azure ripples refract the Southern European sunlight. Every midsummer, this place transforms into the hottest party stage in the Magic City, where champagne bubbles mingle with the sound of waves, and the sunset gilds the domes, making it the center of attention in your social circle.
The hotel lobby resembles a medieval palace. The moment you push open the gilded door, your breath is overwhelmed by brilliance, like a coronation of light. Crystal chandeliers cascade like a star river, millions of prisms break the light into diamond rain, reflecting countless worlds. Gold leaf whispers on the dome, shadows dance on the marble floor, and the spiral staircase winds upward. Every step on the carpet feels like walking through the elegance of history, as if you have become a bard holding a golden record.
Architecture is a frozen poem, and cuisine is the flowing notes. The buffet’s Spanish freshly sliced ham is as thin as cicada wings, the salmon’s delicate texture is of excellent quality, and in summer, there are four flavors of unlimited crayfish. The wok hei in the Chinese restaurant hides the unique gentleness and delicacy of the East. When Spanish passion meets the slow-cooked Eastern delicacies, it is not just a clash of food but a reconciliation and intertwining of two cultures on the tongue.
The evening breeze brushes through the Ritz Garden, carrying the breath of plants. In the distance, the National Exhibition and Convention Center glows with flowing lights; nearby is the quiet serenity of this Spanish castle. In this century-old brand hotel, time seems folded, and the Moorish dream of the West Suburb recreates Velázquez’s palette in the Magic City. Here, you taste not the noisy, hurried prosperity eager to prove itself, but a calm luxury flowing with olive oil and old times. If you come to Shanghai, consider keeping this European dream; for your next holiday, let the West Suburb breeze send a postcard to your soul.