HW Pick: Shang-Higher

We’ve hit the post-Olympic period, and it’s rough.

No more feats of godlike human endurance; no more Misty and Kerri on your HD 24/7. But even though Beijing’s time has come and gone, Nadal and Federer will be heading back to the PRC—to Shanghai, China’s newest “It” city.

While much has been made of Beijing’s renaissance, Shanghai has undergone a transformation of its own, starting with an ever-climbing skyline. The 1,600-foot Shanghai World Financial Center, the tallest building in China (and third in the world), was recently inaugurated after fourteen years of construction—luckily, wrapping up just in time for your reservation. The Park Hyatt Shanghai opened last week in fifteen stories of the towering skyscraper, making its 90th-story suites the highest place in the world to book a night. (Admit it—you’ve always meant to join the Quarter-Mile High Club.)

Park Hyatt Shanghai, 100 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China, +86 21 6888 1234

And the Hyatt is only a flicker of what’s to come. Shanghai is preparing itself for November’s Tennis Masters Cup—the year’s final Roger-Rafa showdown—before hosting the World Expo in 2010. Between the beautifully preserved colonial Frenchtown and traditional temples, and the explosion of high-end hotels, bars and restaurants, Shanghai is proving itself the new Beijing.

We’ll keep you posted on the beach volleyball.