Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / China / Shanghai / Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
Shanghai, China · Capella · Apex Luxury
Built in 1930 by French real estate company Foncière et Immobilière de Chine, the Jian Ye Li shikumen estate in Shanghai's former French Concession survived wholesale urban redevelopment to become Capella Shanghai, the city's only all-villa hotel, with 55 individual lane-houses designed by Jaya Ibrahim. Pierre Gagnaire, a three-Michelin-starred chef, opened his first mainland China restaurant here in 2017, now in its seventh consecutive year of Michelin recognition.
- 55 rooms
- Opened 2017
- Neighborhood: Former French Concession
- Rooms from 1,195 sq ft (111 m²)
- Architect: Restoration of 1930s French Concession Shikumen townhouses
- Interiors: Jaya Ibrahim
About Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
- Shikumen ('stone gate') housing once accounted for as much as 60 percent of Shanghai's residential stock and has been almost entirely demolished; the Jian Ye Li estate is among the last intact ensembles surviving in the city, protected within the Hengfu Heritage Conservation Zone of Xuhui District.
- Each of the 55 villas is an original 1930s lane-house; the original water tower at the centre of the estate, once the sole water supply for the entire laneway, still stands and now connects the property to satellite television.
- Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire seats 70 guests on the second floor of a historic villa, with protégé Romain Chapel, son of legendary French chef Alain Chapel, as resident chef, a rare collaboration across two generations of French culinary royalty on a single menu.
- Capella Shanghai holds both a Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star award (2026) and two MICHELIN Keys (2025), and ranked 82nd on Travel + Leisure's World's Best Hotels list in 2025.
- The smallest published suite or villa start at 1,195 sq ft (111 m²).
History
One of the last remaining intact ensembles of Shikumen ('stone-gate') 1930s lane-house architecture in Shanghai, converted into 55 all-villa accommodations in 2017. Each villa is an original historic lane house within a protected cultural heritage zone; Jaya Ibrahim's interiors blend classical Chinese elements with 19th-century French Concession style.
The Jian Ye Li complex, built in 1930 as merchant-class housing, was meticulously preserved rather than demolished — a rare act of architectural stewardship.
The setting
Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li inhabits restored 1930s shikumen lilong buildings on West Jianguo Road in Xuhui's former French Concession — the pre-war city's premier residential quarter, where plane-tree boulevards and Art Deco apartment towers defined cosmopolitan Shanghai. The Jian Ye Li complex, built in 1930 as merchant-class housing, was meticulously preserved rather than demolished — a rare act of architectural stewardship. Huaihai Road's luxury retail corridor lies within easy walking distance, and the French Concession's heritage conservation zone ensures that the surrounding tree-lined streets retain their layered, historic character. 6 km from artwork at Shanghai Museum.
Restaurants and bars
- Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire — Restaurant · French cuisine infused with local flavours · Chef Pierre Gagnaire · Three MICHELIN Stars
- la Boulangerie — Café
- la Terrace — Restaurant
Experiences
- Auriga Spa — Spa in two Shikumen villas with moon-phase treatments, a floatation tank, salt room, vitality pool and sauna.
- le Bar — A 40-seat intimate bar lounge.
- Private dining in your villa — Breakfast, lunch or dinner served in your own villa using fresh flavours and seasonal ingredients.
Amenities
- Auriga Spa
- Library Lounge
- Private courtyards at each villa
- The Gallery (retail)
- Capella Curates cultural programming
- Pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Fine dining
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Two Keys (2026)
- Travel + Leisure World's Best Hotels (2025)
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