I have just come back from a work trip to Asia where I had two basic aims: eat as many dumplings as possible and try not to nod off with jet lag in the middle of any meetings. Both goals were met and there was an unexpected bonus. I learnt something new about what makes a good business hotel.

To explain, let me tell you a tale of two hotel rooms. The first was in Shanghai, where I discovered I had been booked into an “ultra-luxury” hotel on the Bund, with stonking views over the Huangpu river and an army of fawning staff.