Candlelit Warmth in Shanghai Winter at the Q Hotel

In January, I embarked on a one-day weekend getaway to Shanghai, accompanied by friends, with a budget of 800 yuan […]

In January, I embarked on a one-day weekend getaway to Shanghai, accompanied by friends, with a budget of 800 yuan per person. Our activities included indulging in gourmet food and experiencing a bourgeois lifestyle. This travelogue was published on January 1, 2020, at 17:58 PM.

Upon my evening arrival in Shanghai, the streets were still wet from the rain. By chance, I encountered an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. We sat on a street corner, engaging in a long conversation that felt as if we had never spoken so much before. These conversations, which might have been mere trivialities in daylight, took on a new depth and continuity in the rainy night, becoming truly intoxicating.

After reluctantly parting ways, I sought a place to stay for my stay in Shanghai. After much consideration, I booked a stay at the Q Hotel in Pudong, conveniently located near the airport, ensuring no travel-related fatigue. The hotel lobby and functional rest area are connected yet distinct, offering an overall impression of simplicity and comfort.

I had heard that the meals at the Q Hotel were delicious, so after checking in, I eagerly proceeded to enjoy my dinner. The restaurant, located on the first floor, offered a wide variety of dishes. I started with an appetizing pumpkin soup, followed by spaghetti bolognese, and finished with a satisfying fruit platter that quelled my hunger.

During the meal, I couldn’t help but notice the hotel’s many ‘Q’s, hanging, placed, and affixed throughout. A hotel that pays such meticulous attention to even the smallest details has truly won me over.Upon entering the room, I was greeted by a scene of tidiness, cleanliness, and orderliness, as though everything had been prepared and was waiting just for my arrival, which made me feel incredibly welcome. The Q Hotel distinguishes itself with a unique style, a stark contrast to the old-fashionedness often found in regular hotels. Every detail within the Q Hotel reflects a minimalist Nordic aesthetic.

The wooden bedside lamp, nestled into the wall, casts a warm yellow glow that tenderly envelops the entire room. A series of picture frames of varying sizes are hung at different heights, each seeming to capture a moment from a different journey under the light. A small black round table holds a bouquet of flowers, lending an air of purity to the room, akin to the surface of a lake, too pristine to disturb.

The bathroom is both tidy and rustic, perpetually ready to welcome a bathrobe and the allure of steamy romance. Shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner are whimsically designed to resemble beer, milk, and ice cream, so enticing that one might be tempted to taste them. The thoughtful placement of body lotion outside the bathroom makes it easily accessible after a shower. The one-touch switch design streamlines the process, saving time by eliminating the need to search for individual switches.

The body lotion has a clear, refreshing scent. When you bring your nose close to it, the fragrance is like a burst of sparks, dotting the tip of your nose with a sensation reminiscent of something cherished from our childhood. After much contemplation, it dawns on me that it is the tenderness of childhood that is evoked.

Due to the rainy night, the stars were obscured from view, but the myriad lights outside the window shimmered like countless stars, transmitting the warmth of Shanghai through the rain and glass, stirring a small sense of gratitude within me.Leaning against the wall, I reread the manuscript I was to send out the next day. My mind was highly tense. After a while of leaning on the soft back of the chair, I fully relaxed. The rain and night outside had silenced the voices. In the quiet air, I fell asleep. Waking up, I pulled back the curtains to find Shanghai clear and sunny. Sunlight sneaked through the curtains into the room, waking up the warmth of the room. I enjoyed a breakfast that was delivered directly to the room. Yogurt, salad, coffee, bread, fried eggs, cereal… Simple yet abundant combinations. After a night of rain, one truly longs for the sight of the sun.

After breakfast, I found a sofa in the lounge area on the first floor to sit. The winter sunlight streamed in. Complemented by the green plants and books on the wall, suddenly, the good times arrived. I ordered a whiskey at the lobby bar. Shanghai’s winter seemed to be filled with sweet hope, like a burning candle.

I put the laundry I brought with me into the self-service laundry room on the first floor. To my pleasant surprise, the rest area of the laundry room was filled with melodious music. I was completely touched by such attention to detail. It seemed that Shanghai’s winter had truly warmed up.

Back in the leisure bar on the floor, there were a few other guests staying there chatting. I ordered soda and chips and started a conversation with them. Suddenly, I thought of an old friend I met yesterday. If possible, we would spend a few hours in a quiet night, in a room together, talking intimately, listening to music, and escaping the mundane world.As we shared chips with friends, one of them told me that he liked to work out in the gym of the Q Hotel when he stayed here. However, he then said that he didn’t eat chips. I responded by saying, “I suddenly thought of a sentence by Yukio Ibaraki, ‘It’s very happy to eat, but I think it’s a loss for things to care about weight.’” He laughed and told me to enjoy life to the fullest. He had a strong will – the will to exercise. Everyone laughed. Such a conversation among several adults was really cute. Later, friends had lunch at the Q Hotel. There was pre-lunch salad, cream of mushroom soup, chicken rolls with squid pasta. That fitness-loving friend cooked a portion of grilled chicken breast with salad in the open kitchen of the restaurant for himself. After lunch, as the time for my appointment with the editor was approaching, I said goodbye to the newly made friends and set off, carrying my manuscript, ready to meet this city.