One of the new hotels that opened in time for the Shanghai World Expo 2010 is the Gran Melia Hotel located in Pudong. This is the busy business and shopping district where other major hotels such as the Shangri-la and Grand Hyatt stand.

The Gran Melia Hotel in Shanghai was conceived with MICE in mind and has good purpose-built convention facilities. The Grand Ballroom has a capacity of 400 guests classroom style, a good size for most conferences.  However, the ceiling height of 4.7m is not the most ideal. There is also an auditorium with fixed lecture theatre seating for 120 guests, built-in stage and simultaneous interpretation facilities. The pre-function areas are sufficient for holding coffee break and cocktail reception, but not for as exhibition area.

Four meeting rooms can cater to smaller groups of 45 to 54 guests in classroom style. It is a bit odd that the hotel designed these mid-sized rooms with fixed stage platforms. Perhaps it was to provide convenience for Organizers to quickly set-up a room for meetings, but it also means that they will have less flexibility to make different seating or standing layout arrangements based on their event needs.

The above function rooms are supported by nine smaller rooms meant for board meetings and gatherings of between 8 to 15 guests.  There is no shortage of F&B outlets to cater to MICE groups as the hotel has four restaurants and café, as well as three bars and clubs. These include Chinese, Italian and Spanish restaurants, and an all-day café. The Red Passion Club on the 30th floor provides a panoramic view of Shanghai and the Huangpu River, while Havana Nights is a Cuban themed cabaret. However, a more interesting venue to hold themed receptions may be indoor poolside area.

For small to medium sized meetings and conferences, the Gran Melia Hotel in Shanghai is indeed an ideal venue. For more information, visit: http://www.gran-melia-shanghai.com/en/