Look: Luxury in the clouds, Shanghai opens world's highest hotel

The world's highest luxury hotel, boasting a restaurant on the 120th floor and 24-hour personal butler service, has opened in Shanghai to guests with deep pockets and a head for heights.

Elevators whizz guests up the intimidating spiral-like skyscraper at ear-popping speeds of 18 metres per second to the J Hotel's 165 opulent rooms.

The hotel occupies the top floors of the 632-metre (more than 2,000 feet) Shanghai Tower in the city's financial district, the second-tallest building in the world after Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

Its opening was delayed partly by the coronavirus pandemic but the hotel has now started receiving well-heeled guests who can call on the services of a dedicated butler at any hour, day or night. Above, an employee is seen in a suite room of the J Hotel.

Patrons can also enjoy one of the hotel's seven restaurants, spa, 84th-floor swimming pool, and all the other usual trappings of a top-notch hotel.

It does not come cheap. To celebrate its opening J Hotel is offering a "special experience rate" of 3,088 yuan ($450) a night, but prices for its 34 suites sky-rocket. Above, view of Jin Yan restaurant in the J Hotel.

The hotel is part of Jin Jiang International Hotels, a major Chinese state-owned group, and officially opened on Saturday.

Guests are seen in the J Hotel, the world's highest luxury hotel, located in the Shanghai Tower, in Shanghai.

"On the day of our opening even the web page was overloaded with so many visitors with strong interest and they have such (a) strong will to come and experience our hotel," said Renee Wu, sales and marketing director. Above, view of a bathroom in a suite room of the J Hotel.

View of a bathroom in a suite room of the J Hotel.

A suite room of the J Hotel.