Astor House hotel with its original name Richard hotel has a very long history which can date back to 1846,Since its birth, the hotel enjoyed great fame not only in china, the Far east but the whole world as a deluxe hotel for business man. Indeed, the hotel has witnessed many breakthrough events in Chinese history. The first lamp bulb in the country was lit here, the first telephone in the country was switched on here, and the first sound film from the West was projected here. Plus, China's first ball was held in the hotel, helping to bring to a close the tradition that women should not attend social activities. To some extent, it is really a symbol and epitome of the historical nature of shanghai.

The hotel is a unique combination of old Victorian-style design and modern facilities. Now,it contains 116 various type of rooms, including deluxe, standard, executive and some 4-bed rooms. Each room is well decorated while some of them which celebrities such as Charlie Chaplin and Albert Einstein once stayed, are taken as historic spots with photos hanging on the wall to show guests. [China.org.cn]