Valentine’s Day Shanghai: Two treats for your love

It's less than a week to Valentine’s and to help you with your special-day planning we take a look at some of the city's luxurious options

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The Cupola seats just two. The dining room boasts a domed eight-meter-high ceiling, lush décor and just one table and divan for two. With it’s views of the Bund, Shanghai is literally at your feet.

This year poses a difficult question for those living in China. With Shanghai Valentine’s Day coinciding with Chinese New Year, do you choose a traditional family meal or a romantic night one-on-one? Local hotels and restaurants are banking on the latter, and they’re not just thinking small candlelight dinner. Local venues are taking their indulgent offerings to a whole new level.

We recently found two packages -- one from Three on the Bund and the other from the JW Marriott -- that were so elaborate they made us stop, reread and decide that we had to share.

The JW Marriott at Tomorrow's Square is actually offering two packages. Firstly, buy a bottle of Mumm Cordon Rough Rose Champagne (at full price, RMB 1,228 a bottle plus tax) with dinner at the JW’s California Grill or Marriott Cafe, and you get your room at the hotel for free. Not too shabby. But this package is small change compared to the Ultimate Romance Package (RMB 19,999 plus tax per couple) which includes limousine pick up, one night in the Rose Paradise-themed Chairman Suite with 24-hour butler service (hopefully Jeeves stays out of ear shot), access to the rooftop open-air terrace overlooking the city, Mandara Spa’s signature 4 Hands treatment for two, dinner with a private violin player and breakfast in bed.

Sometimes you'll want to end up in your own (or at least a familiar) bed though and just be pampered to the hilt before you do so. This can be done, and is done very well by Three on the Bund. For Shanghai Valentine's Day they're offering the Exquisite Valentine’s Experience.

We’ll put your mind at ease and start with possibly the best part of Three on the Bund -- Le Cupola. This package includes dinner in Le Cupola, meaning private dining for two in one of the world’s most romantic dining spots (Conde Nast agrees with us on this one), with a choice of four different five-course tasting menus from each of the building’s four restaurants and a wine pairing.

For us, this would be enough, but it keeps going. The rest of the package includes a His & Hers Evian Spa treatment, a drink at New Heights, welcome Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, a private tour of the Shanghai Gallery of Art, and a chauffered BMW 7 Series pick-up and drop-off.

The dinner package is RMB 8,888 per couple and available from February 12-14. The lunch package is RMB 3,888 per couple and available for the same period at lunchtime. The lunchtime package combines a luncheon in Le Cupola with treatments at Evian Spa, not bad if you're trying to fit in Shanghai Valentine's Day between business meetings.

Are these the most creative packages? No, that would be scuba diving with sharks, but as far as romance is concerned, these have you covered.

getting there

Three on the Bund
3 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Guangdong Lu
中山东一路3号楼7楼, 近广东路
tel +86 21 6321 0909
www.threeonthebund.com

JW Marriott at Tomorrow's Square
399 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Bei Lu <>br 南京西路399号, 近黄陂北路
tel +86 21 5359 4969
www.marriotthotels.com

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A borough-bred Manhattanite, Jessica Beaton has lived in Shanghai for three years working as a magazine editor and freelancer writer. She's now the Shanghai city editor at CNNGo.