Pop-up event celebrates opening of W Shanghai – The Bund

On Tuesday, W Hotels celebrated the opening of W Shanghai – The Bund in an over-the-top pop-up event held at The Oculus in downtown Manhattan. The new 374-room hotel, the first W in Shanghai, opened this summer. The Electrify The Sky Pop-Up transformed the iconic New York structure into a Shanghai-inspired fete, giving hungry travelers and locals alike an exclusive taste of the newest W destination.

W Hotels teamed up with James Beard Award-winner Chef Danny Bowien of New York City’s Mission Chinese Food to serve up a fresh take on the beloved Shanghai dish, xiao long bao (soup dumplings), for the one-day-only tasting. Bowien himself greeted New Yorkers with one of the most exclusive bites in New York City. Passersby were treated to performances from DJ Hattie Casserly, The Lion Dance Troupe and DJ Erica Rhone alongside a piled-high cargo bike, which offered a life-size preview of Shanghai street style and an Insta-worthy photo opp.

Throughout the day, W Hotels gave a few lucky event-goers the chance to experience W destinations first-hand. The exclusive prizes included two-night stays at W New York – Downtown, W Los Angeles – West Beverly Hills, W Washington D.C., and W New Orleans – French Quarter; signed cookbooks from Chef Danny Bowien; and a three-night stay at the new W Shanghai – The Bund.

W Hotels will keep the party going with a pop-up in London on Oct. 18 and will then bring the Shanghai-centric celebration to top destinations in China with pop-up events at W Hong Kong, W Taipei, W Guangzhou and W Beijing in the coming months.