Hyatt Hotels has introduced the Thompson Hotels brand in the Asia Pacific market for the first time with a property in Shanghai, China.

Situated in Shanghai’s World Expo district, the new Thompson Shanghai Expo offers 254 rooms and suites, event facilities, and various dining and nightlife options.

The hotel is part of Expo Place, a riverfront commercial complex near major venues such as the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Centre, Mercedes-Benz Arena, and China Art Museum.

The building was designed by Goettsch Partners from Chicago, featuring a curved tower with a prominent glass façade that reflects the Huangpu River.

SilverFox Studios of Singapore created interiors inspired by the 2010 Shanghai Expo pavilions.

Guest rooms at the Thompson Shanghai Expo offer city or river views through floor-to-ceiling windows. Each room features hardwood floors, furnishings, marble bathrooms, coffee machines, and other amenities.

Thompson Shanghai Expo also provides eight event venues, including Thompson Hall, one of the area’s largest ballrooms at 1,100m² with capacity for up to 1,150 people.

Hyatt Lifestyle group president and creative director Amar Lalvani said: “The Thompson Hotels brand started in New York as a cultural home base for people plugged into the city. Now, entering its 25th year, it’s wonderful to see the brand taking root in other vibrant markets across the globe.

“Madrid was a perfect step into Europe, at a time when that city is buzzing like never before. Shanghai similarly alive, creative, and incredibly dynamic. It feels like the right place, at the right moment, for the first Thompson hotel in Asia.”

Last year, the first Thompson Hotels-branded property was added to US-based investment company Gencom’s network.