Top Villas of Old Shanghai

Written by Matteo Updated Mar. 12, 2025

To travelers, Shanghai always gives the impression of a bustle-and-hustle modern lifestyle. However, if you stay longer and keep your eyes open, you can trace the old Shanghai from the elegant villas, which offer quiet oases in the city's busy heart.

They are a miniature version of the old Shanghai that once witnessed the ups and downs of the twentieth-century colonial era. Now some of these old buildings have been converted into hotels, while their best parts are preserved well. The stories behind the villas make the area legendary.

Sinan Mansions (Hotel Massenet)

Sinan Mansions is composed of a few Western-style villas. Each villa has its garden. Their history can be traced back to 1902 when the French Concession was started and progressively expanded, and Sinan Mansions became the essence of the Concession. It attracted numerous notable people from government, big enterprises, art, culture, and the military to move into Shanghai, who together created the unique culture of the French Concession.

Now, Sinan Mansions is a new, quiet entertainment block of accommodations, bars, restaurants, wedding dress stores, art galleries, and exhibition halls. Though the area is surrounded by Xintiandi, Tianzifang, and Huaihai Roads, it is very quiet, which adds to its charm. Moreover, it is only a few minutes from Fuxing Park.

The Hotel Massenet is a unique boutique villa hotel in the heart of Shanghai City and forms an important part of Sinan Mansions. The hotel has 21 villas built between 1920 and 1930. Although they are old buildings with a history of almost a century, the interior design and facilities are very modern. They include a banquet hall, bars, dining halls for both Western and Chinese food, a fitness club, a swimming pool, a spa, and private cars. Stewards and cooks attend to your individual needs 24 hours.

Dingxiang Garden Villa

Once the private garden of Li Hongzhang, Prime Minister of the Late Qing Dynasty, now Dingxiang Garden Villa is the location of the best restaurant for Cantonese cuisine in Shanghai. The villa style is a perfect mix of British countryside-style garden villa and classical Chinese southern garden and was designed by Rodgers, a notable American architect of the 1860s.

There is a romantic story saying that the building was built for Li Hongzhang's ninth wife, Dingxiang. They lived there and planted many Dingxiang together in the garden. Later, however, it was confirmed that there was no such person and Li Hongzhang never lived there. But the story is still popular among Shanghai people. The building was constructed for Li.

Li Jingmai's mother was once a maid of the Li family. Li Jingmai became a very rich person in Shanghai when he grew up, and spent his old age in the Dingxiang Garden Villa.

Built in 2007, Shenyuexuan Restaurant covers an area of 2,000 square meters. It specializes in Cantonese cuisine, Hong Kong-style high tea, and local Shanghai food. There are different kinds of dining rooms for various purposes, including VIP rooms, the grand hall, the bride room, a grill room, and a special room for certain retired officials.

The area leading to the restaurant is open to the public, while the Dingxiang Garden is closed for security reasons. But don't worry, as the garden is small, visitors can walk around the perimeter along the wall to appreciate the special scenery, which shows its best in fall.

Hengshan Moller Villa

Moller Villa was built in 1927 for Moller, Jew. It took nine years to construct and was completed in 1936. Moller Villa is a private garden villa covering 5,000 square meters and includes a garden with an area of almost 2,000 square meters. The design of this garden villa combines the northern European style and the classic Haipai style.

Moller settled in Shanghai in 1919 and later became a very rich man through Hangbookinger. This dreamy castle was designed according to his daughter's dream: His daughter dreamed of a special fairy castle one night, and then Moller invited a famous designer of the time to make his daughter's dream come true. In 1941, Moller left China because of the war, and the house became the official seat of the Shanghai Governmental Department after experiencing the ravages of the war.

In January 2001, the renovation of Moller Villa was completed and it opened to the public in May 2002 as a boutique hotel named Hengshan Moller Villa. The hotel is mainly for high-end businessmen and small business meetings. Building 1 is the old villa, keeping everything in the original European style, and there are 16 rooms on offer. Building 2 is completely new, with 29 standard rooms. Most modern facilities and standard services are provided. Dining is also one of the specialties of the hotel, which specializes in Cantonese food and Shanghai food. High tea is provided every afternoon between 2:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The Ruijin Hotel

Covering an area of 100 acres, Ruijin Hotel consists of four villas and a classic British garden and lawn. Every villa has its history and story, which is the real charm for visitors. The land belonged to the French Concession when it was built, and up until 1979, the hotel was for important state guests only.

Many famous leaders have stayed there, including Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, and several other country leaders. In 1979, it was opened to the public and started to attract many scholars, businessmen, and travelers.

The hotel was refurbished in 2004 and transformed into a modern hotel with 62 rooms. Rooms include standard rooms, senior executive rooms, and deluxe suites, and all are equipped with either traditional Chinese red sandalwood furniture or a classical Western-style set. Each villa has a lodge, dining halls, and meeting rooms, and every corner shows the best mix of modern and antique styles.

Karaoke rooms, cafés, dance halls, multifunctional banquet halls, and meeting rooms are all available. Another highlight is the hotel's dining halls offering different cuisines, such as the hotel's specialty dishes, Shanghai, Thai, Indian, and French food.

The villas of the hotel have witnessed the history of old Shanghai over the past century. In 1917, British businessman Benjamin Malis built a two-story building with a red-tile roof, which is now building 1 of the hotel.

Later, Malis constructed another building whose style was in complete contrast to the previous one nearby, which is now building 3, a café. During the war, the Japanese military occupied this area.

After the liberation of China, the government combined these buildings and the nearby garden villa into a hotel named the Ruijin Hotel to receive important leaders visiting Shanghai. Numerous trees and flowers were planted in the garden to show their best in different seasons, making it seem like spring in the hotel all year round.

The Royal Court

Compared to the other garden villas, the Royal Court is very low-key and situated in an old, narrow alley. You might not even notice this hotel when passing by in a hurry. It was once the residence of the famous church academy – Saint John University, which is why every corner is full of the atmosphere of the late Qing Dynasty.

It is a six-story building and most views from the windows are of old buildings in the old Shanghai style and old western-style. Quiet, convenient, and authentic old Shanghai style are the main reasons for most visitors choosing to stay here. The building was renovated in 1996 and decorated again in 2007, and each room now has a parlor. The staff are all very friendly and offer great service.

Bund Garden Hotel

Bund Garden Hotel is situated in the Bund yet in a relatively secret and quiet location. The hotel consists of two gothic buildings built in 1928, and some original features survive, such as the old aisle stairs and a steam boiler, which all add to the "retro" atmosphere. With a history of almost 100 years and a private garden, the hotel attracts a lot of visitors from around the world.

The hotel was opened to the public in November 2011. There are only eight rooms, each having its unique design, which means it is not easy to book a room and every guest will enjoy excellent individual service from the hotel – there is even a church on the premises.

The private garden offers a space for families or businessmen to do things together. Moreover, the Bund Garden Hotel is within walking distance of several important attractions in the city center.

Julu Garden Villas

Shanghai Julu Villas are full of old Shanghai style from the moment you step through the gate. With a large private garden and four villas, the hotel offers not only comfortable and valued accommodation but also a history of over 80 years.

There are four 3-story villas available for guests, and 13 rooms/suites in total. Each villa has its specialty, with only three or four rooms/suites, providing a very personal and private service. Villa A is the classic British style, Villa B New Classical Style, Villa C is the Southeast Asia style, and Villa D modern style. In addition, the hotel has meeting rooms, banquet rooms, dining halls, fitness rooms, and entertainment rooms.

Built in the 1920s and completed in 1929, Shanghai Julu Villas were funded by the Asiatic Petroleum Company. The villas were used as accommodation for the company's foreign staff at the time. The design of the villas is typical of the Northern European style.

At the time, the land belonged to the French Concession, but later, in 1937, the area was captured by the Japanese army. The area was returned to the French Concession in 1943. After 1951, when the company closed its business in Mainland China, the villa belonged to the Chinese government and was used as a Guest Hotel for the Chinese Air Force.

The villa area was opened as a hotel on January 8, 2000, and was re-opened after refurbishment on February 8, 2010.

Le Sun Chine

Opened on May 1, 2010, Lu Sun Chine is located in a villa area covering about 16,700 square meters and includes 15 villas with private gardens. Most villas were built in 1916. Now, Lu Sun Chine, one of the villas in the area, is a public hotel revealing the mystery of the old Shanghai colonial period. It is a member of the Relais & Châteaux group.

The rooms in the hotel are themed in cream, blue, red, and gold colors, showing different distinct emotional characteristics in each of the 17 rooms/suites. Each space and item of furniture retains the original design and structure, making the place as authentic as possible. With the modern design featured in the details of the hotel, Le Sun Chine not only tells a story of the past but also offers a glimpse of the future.

The history of the villa area can be traced back to the beginning of the nineteenth century when it was a horse court owned by American estate agent Malis. In 1916, Malis sold the land to twelve land agents, who later built twelve villas in different styles, such as the German style, the Northern European style, the Spanish style, and the British style, etc. These villas became typical of Shanghai villas at the time, and the whole area was named Fan Yuan, meaning model area literally. It then enjoyed a very good reputation during the 1930s.

In 1932, the Mansion of Sun was built, which is now No. 6, Fan Yuan, the private house of Sun Boqun. He owned the biggest flour business in Shanghai at the time. Some of the villas in the area are now owned by a hospital, while some are residential housing. The Mansion of Sun is the only villa available to guests, who can get to know the real history of Shanghai and the Haipai Culture.

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