There is a new trend in Shanghai boutique hotels, one which only dawned on me in a flash during a recent conversation with Geneva Holden, communications officer for URBN Hotel. The gist is that boutiques hotels are no longer just interesting places for tourists and business travelers to lay their heads, they are also very high-end, very specialized event spaces for businesses or organizations after something a little different. URBN is a prime example. One thing that struck me about their rooms was the multi-level quality. Beds rest on raised platforms, with sunken spaces edged by pillow-strewn bench seating. In the suite you could comfortably seat your entire extended family. You’ll never see so much seating space in rooms in big chain business hotels. Turns out this is not an accident, but a deliberate design strategy meant to multi-purpose the space. URBN’s two-story penthouse suite, for example, which is attached to a beautiful private garden terrace, has already hosted product launches for high-end cosmetics brands as well as hosting a week-long shoot for a new Daniel Wu action movie. Jia struck me in much the same way. The biggest suite covers acres and wraps around en entire corner of the building. But it was DJ booth that gives it away as something more than just a place to pass a night. It's fully functional for hip, small-scale parties where exclusivity trumps popularity. The only thing is: the bed. I mean, isn't that the ultimate distraction? Looking into my crystal ball I see the next evolutin of the Shanghai boutique hotel space: press a button and, Batman-style--the bed lowers into the floor and is replaced by a small bar.