SHANGHAI, an intractable city endowed with copious amounts of soul, style and sophistication - not to mention a definite sense of self - also has an enviable ability to portray itself as being forever in the moment. For this modern Chinese city, the moment is now. Everything seems to take place a little faster here - people walk faster, talk faster, work faster and as a result, change occurs in the seeming blink of an eye.

Some things, however, take a little more time to develop. Boutique hotels, for instance, have been hard to come by because in the Chinese context, big is always better. Last month, though, JIA Shanghai officially opened its doors to the world. The 55-room hotel had a soft opening in August last year and, helped by its handy location on West Nanjing Road in a charming, seven-storey 1920s building with an Art Deco facade, it has been steadily gathering momentum, with positive word of mouth and favourable coverage in the international press.

Formerly a run-down hotel, the building was transformed and given a US$10 million makeover by three separate interior architecture firms based in Australia and Hong Kong. JIA Shanghai, the second in Singaporean owner Yenn Wong's growing lineup of concept hotels (after JIA Hong Kong), now exudes arty, eclectic modernity, plenty of fashion-conscious, contemporary flair and a certain sense of playfulness. The Shanghai property is a joint venture with a Hong Kong-based businessman.

In keeping with the JIA philosophy, the lobby is small in scale, understated and residence-like. The top floor holds two penthouse suites while the expansive one-bedroom corner suites on the sixth floor are comfortably and colourfully appointed, with large bathrooms and all the amenities necessary for business needs and longer stays, including flat-screens in every room and free broadband and wi-fi. Regular rooms average 45 square metres and like all the rooms, have a sense of drama. Last month, Issimo, a trendy Italian restaurant and lounge, opened on the second floor.

'Shanghai is an international city but it still lacks stylish, creative spaces,' says Ms Wong. 'There are a few boutique hotels but not any of real international quality. It's part of our branding strategy to be in the most exciting cities in the world, and after Hong Kong, this was pretty much a natural progression.'

The opening of the hotel was delayed a few months by problems with local contractors. 'We were very particular with what we wanted and although it was a little frustrating, I didn't want to compromise,' says Ms Wong. 'We were not going for a super-luxurious look, we wanted something hip and fun, we want to be more creative. Although the JIA concept is the same, we want each of our hotels to look distinctively different.'

With a specific vision and a passion for the boutique hotel business, Ms Wong is now hard at work on various hotel and food and beverage projects. JIA Shanghai will work its way into the local hotel landscape. Says Ms Wong: 'The hardware will attract the people, but it's always about the software.'

JIA Shanghai, 931 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai 200041, People's Republic of China. For reservations call (+8621) 6217-9000 or e-mail rez@jiashanghai.com. Room rates start at 2,000 renminbi for a studio, 4,000 renminbi for a one-bedroom suite and 12,000 renminbi for a penthouse suite.