In the end, it's all about bragging rights.
Connoisseurs see a new golden age of skyscrapers unfolding around the world.
The Grand Hyatt opening atop the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai this spring is the world's tallest hotel, occupying the top third of the world's third-tallest building. The late 1960s and early '70s saw a boom, she says. Then the conversation died for 20 years. It has been designed to rise to 1,837 feet. It will include apartments, a luxury hotel, shops, offices, and a rooftop observatory open to the public.