A genuinely old building among a host of recent renovations in the Italian Concession district, this unique 11-room boutique hotel is housed in the 1910 former residence of Zhejiang warlord Yi Zhaoyun. It's refreshingly understated (you'll think it's closed as you approach the small main entrance), yet subtly luxurious.
There's none of the facilities and services you get in most other fancy hotels (no restaurant, no cafe, no gym, no pool); once you check in, you're simply left alone to wander the old-tiled corridors or sneak up to the rooftop for views of the surrounding streets. Prices vary from day to day, but you can get rooms for around ¥550 on Sundays and Mondays, rising to around ¥750 on Fridays and Saturdays. No English spoken. Accessed from Bo'ai Dao (博爱道).