InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland – The World’s Most Insane Luxury Hotel Built Inside a Quarry
An earthscraper carved from a quarry
While the world’s architects race to build ever taller, the team behind the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland went in the opposite direction — literally. Opened in 2018 after nearly a decade of construction, the hotel was built inside an abandoned rock quarry in Songjiang District, roughly 50 km southwest of central Shanghai. The quarry had been dormant since the 1990s, and rather than filling it in, developers transform it into something unprecedented.
The result is officially classified as an earthscraper: a structure that descends into the earth rather than rising above it. Of its 18 floors, 16 sit underground within the quarry walls, and the deepest two floors are actually submerged beneath a natural lake at the quarry’s base.
Why Stay Here?
Arrival and Rooms
One of the most impressive moments comes right when you arrive. Instead of entering at ground level, you approach the hotel from the top of the former quarry and gradually make your way down through the building. Seeing the massive quarry walls rise around you as you descend is something that photos simply don’t capture.
The combination of towering limestone cliffs, the hotel’s curved futuristic design, and the large waterfall creates a view that feels almost unreal. What I particularly liked is that the architects didn’t try to hide the site’s industrial past. The raw quarry walls remain a central part of the experience and contrast beautifully with the modern interiors.
The room itself was excellent. It felt modern, spacious, and very well maintained, with no noticeable signs of wear despite the hotel’s popularity. Many of the room features could be controlled through a Chinese voice assistant. Since the system operates in Chinese, I didn’t use it much during my stay, but it’s a thoughtful feature that I suspect local guests will get far more value from.
The bathroom was equally spacious, featuring plenty of room to move around and a layout that felt both practical and luxurious. The real highlight, however, was the large balcony overlooking the quarry. Sitting outside and taking in the dramatic cliffs, waterfall, and unique architecture was easily one of the most memorable parts of the experience.
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- Spacious and modern rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, many offering spectacular quarry views.
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- Well-equipped bathrooms featuring separate bathtubs, rain showers, and premium amenities.
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- Thoughtful in-room features including a minibar, coffee machine, comfortable bedding, and AI-powered voice controls for room functions, although the system is currently available only in Chinese.
- Solid sound insulation between rooms and floors — walls are thick, and there’s no noticeable noise bleed from neighbours or corridors during the night.
- Balcony doors fitted with insect screens — you can leave them open overnight to enjoy the cool quarry air without any unwanted guests.
- One feature I missed was a pillow menu. While the standard pillows were comfortable enough, a hotel of this caliber would benefit from offering guests a choice of pillow types to better accommodate individual sleeping preferences.
The underwater rooms
The two lowest floors house the hotel’s most exclusive suites, positioned entirely below the surface of the quarry lake. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels look directly into the water — you can watch fish and aquatic life move past your window as if you were in a private aquarium.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the chance to stay in one of these underwater rooms myself. I only saw them in the hotel’s official photos, but they’re undoubtedly one of the property’s most unique features. If I ever return to Shanghai Wonderland, this is the room I’d love to book.
Dining
In addition to the all-day dining restaurant Commune and the Chinese restaurant Cai Feng Lou, the property is home to its most famous culinary attraction: Mr. Fisher, a unique underwater restaurant located below the water’s surface.
I didn’t have the opportunity to personally visit any of the hotel’s restaurants beyond breakfast and the Club InterContinental Lounge, so I can’t provide a first-hand review of either Mr. Fisher or Cai Feng Lou. However, based on the concept and setting alone, the underwater restaurant remains one of the hotel’s most intriguing features.
As for breakfast, it was one of the few aspects of the stay that didn’t fully live up to my expectations. While the selection was perfectly acceptable, it lacked the premium feel I would normally expect from a luxury property of this calibre. What surprised me even more was the atmosphere during peak breakfast hours. The restaurant felt consistently crowded and noticeably busier than the rest of the hotel, which was unusual given that the property rarely felt crowded elsewhere during my stay. The contrast between the peaceful atmosphere found throughout the resort and the breakfast rush was striking, and at times the dining room felt far more hectic than expected for a hotel positioning itself at the luxury end of the market.
Club/Executive Lounge
Small, intimate, and worth the upgrade
The Club InterContinental Lounge ended up being one of the spaces I used most during my stay. It’s not particularly large, but that actually worked in its favour.
The design is attractive and fits well with the rest of the property. What I appreciated more was simply how comfortable and peaceful the space felt throughout the day.
The selection of food isn’t especially extensive compared to some of the best club lounges I’ve visited, but the quality was perfectly good and there were enough hot dishes in the evening to make a light dinner entirely realistic.
If you’re already considering a room upgrade, I think lounge access is worth having for the added convenience rather than because the lounge itself is exceptional. In a hotel where you’ll likely spend a fair amount of time enjoying the property, having a quiet space for breakfast, drinks, or an evening meal is a genuinely useful perk.
Facilities and Experience
Water shows
Once the sun goes down, the quarry takes on a completely different character. The cliffs come alive with lights, projections, and music, creating a show that feels surprisingly immersive without being over the top.
One of my favourite moments was simply relaxing on the balcony in the evening and taking it all in. The combination of the towering quarry walls, lighting effects, and futuristic architecture creates a truly unique atmosphere.
If you happen to miss the evening show, there’s also a smaller water-and-light performance in the lobby atrium, held twice daily. While more intimate in scale, it carries the same sense of theatre and is well worth stopping to watch.
Summary and Rates
Remarkably reasonable for what it delivers
Room rates vary quite a bit depending on the floor and room category you choose. Standard quarry-facing rooms with a balcony typically start at around $250 per night, while the famous underwater suites sit at a much higher price point.
Personally, I think the standard rooms already deliver the experience most people come here for. You still get the dramatic quarry views, the unique architecture, and the feeling of staying somewhere unlike almost any other hotel in the world. The underwater suites are undoubtedly special, but I never felt that staying in one was essential to enjoy the property.
Considering how unique this hotel is, I actually found the entry-level pricing surprisingly reasonable. Many hotels charge a premium simply because they’re unusual, but here you also get a genuinely solid luxury hotel experience backed by the InterContinental brand.
At the end of the day, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland is one of those rare hotels that genuinely deserves its reputation. The architecture is unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere, and despite all the attention it gets for being built inside a quarry, it succeeds as much more than a novelty. If you’re looking for a memorable hotel experience rather than just a place to sleep, this is a property that’s easy to recommend.
One caveat worth knowing
Experience the Hotel in Motion
Click play to watch a short video tour showcasing the property’s atmosphere and key highlights.
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