InterContinental Hotels: Priority Club & Inter-Continental Ambassador - Suggestions for Shanghai

Hi all,

I am travelling to Shanghai in early August. I am wondering if anyone has stayed at any of the hotels listed below. I am a PC Plat Amb and am visiting Shanghai for a brief holiday.

Intercontinental Shanghai Expo
Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Nanpu
Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund
Intercontinental Shanghai Pudong
Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong
Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai

I'm grateful for any recommendations or comments you may have.

Thanks!
Kate

In terms of fanciness IC Puxi is the best. Location isn't suited for everyone.

I've stayed at the IC Pudong. Nice place and decent location.

CP Century Park is near the IC Pudong (about 2 subway stations apart). I've stayed here too. Would pick the IC Pudong.

Obviously I'm assuming you have no budget. If you do. Stay at whatever you can afford. They are a decent properties for their price. Even the $40 HIX around Shanghai are great value for money.

That's a strange list of properties you compiled. Why these properties?
- IC Shanghai Pudong is a good location when you do business in Lujiazui. It's, in my opinion, China's weakest IC. Plenty of things to do around the hotel.
- IC Puxi is in a better location (I don't understand the previous posters comments), as it is in walking distance (1.5 km) to Nanjing West Rd.
- Indigo has great views of Pudong and is right on the Bund, walking distance to Bund/Nanjing Rd, 20 mins.
- CP Century Park is far out in Pudong, not suited for a leisure stay unless you intend spending time in the Century Park.
- IC Expo/HI Nanpu are far off, taxi required for sightseeing/dinner
- HI Pudong is in the IC Pudong area.

I recommend the Indigo.

This will be my first time to Shanghai and looking at a map those properties seemed most central and nearest the tourist areas.

Thanks for you comments!

I am only familiar with the three ICs. All offer good value for the money.
If you plan to take public transportation the IC Pudong is best. Next to a subway station with several lines, easy and wuick to get anywhere (including the airports).

The IC Puxi is much nicer and newer, but not as easy for public transportation and not much in the immediate area. But Taxis are cheap.

The Expo IC is (almost) in the middle of nowhere.

Indigo on the Bund! I'd visit Shanghai again just to stay at this hotel. Pay the upgrade fee for a premium bund river view. Well worth the extra cost. Not really near any public transit but taxis are cheap and you're right on the Bund. Check out the reviews and pics ob tripadvisor - they are legit, at least for this hotel!

But are you paying cash or using points? Its not the cheapest option so I guess that has to be factored.

Indigo on the Bund! I'd visit Shanghai again just to stay at this hotel. Pay the upgrade fee for a premium bund river view. Well worth the extra cost. Not really near any public transit but taxis are cheap and you're right on the Bund. Check out the reviews and pics ob tripadvisor - they are legit, at least for this hotel!

But are you paying cash or using points? Its not the cheapest option so I guess that has to be factored.

Are you 100% certain about this? I ask because I know a fair amount about SH hotels, and do not think the Indigo is the second best property in town (in terms of quality, location, or value). Don't get me wrong; it's a nice place with great people, but #2 is an extremely high ranking in light of the competition.

I stayed at the IC expo last month. Decent property, nice lounge. Front desk a bit rude. Taxis are cheap. For fun, ride the ferry across the river.

Actually typing from the Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong at the moment. If your focus is touristing you probably want to be somewhere closer to Luzajui or at the Puxi side.

The HISP is not horribly inconvenient, as it's about a 10 minute walk from Line 2 -- which is the main trunk E-W line, and about 5 stops from major tourist areas.

As far as the hotel goes, it's actually one of the nicest Holiday Inn's I've been to. High rise, nicely furnished rooms, business lounge, and a decent view from the rooms.

Ranked #50 in TripAdvisor out of 2711.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g308272-d307423-Reviews-Holiday_Inn_Pudong_Hotel-Shanghai.html

I don't see how a tourist would want to stay in Pudong, unless they came all the way to China to enjoy the malls....

Let's face it - there are plenty of IHG properties in SH, most fairly decent but not really catering to tourists. Of all of them I would say that the Indigo on the (very southern part of the) Bund is the most 'touristic'. If I was a tourist I would either stay here or the IC Puxi, or even the HI Downtown if budget was a concern (good plat recognition). HI Pudong is a good property but Pudong is boring. These are mostly business first properties, and while some have better rooms, they aren't catering to tourists.

Shanghai has a great metro system, and basically everywhere is near a stop. If not taxis are affordable compared to Europe and North America.

Don't trust TripAdvisor.......

Budget concerned should stay at the HIX shanghai zhabei or a non-IHG property.

It is near the IC Puxi. Closer to the subway.

Budget concerned should stay at the HIX shanghai zhabei or a non-IHG property.

It is near the IC Puxi. Closer to the subway.

I went to meeting at the HIX near the train station last week, and found it be a disaster. Apart from the Indigo, there isn't a single IHG property in this city that comes close to wowing me. In fact, I dare say that the Super 168 across the street from my place is a better hotel than the HIX (at half the price).

For those of you with handsome budgets, I encourage to just pick a nice hotel in a convenient location.

For the rest of you, just try out the 168/Home Inn thing. While none of them are fancy, those guys are good at scoring prime real estate (i.e. in more desirable parts of Puxi than Zhabei or the South Bund).

"South Bund" (i.e. Indigo) is in walking distance to both Yuyuan/Yu Garden and Nanjing Road. The area further down from Yuyuan is a worth a walk as well, as it is a pretty untouched area of Shanghai with small houses, narrow alleys and local markets.

In regards to the HIX Zhabei, this is way further away from metro line 1 than the IC Puxi/HI Downtown as you need to cross the trainstation. However, it is closer to lines 3 and 4, which are arguably useless for first time visitors on a tight schedule.

Pudong is underrated, as most people only see Lujiazui area. Further out, life is back and even the area around IC Pudong (where I'm spending the next four weeks at) has plenty to offer apart from office buildings and malls. Arguably, it's far from the tourists spots.

In any case, I am very much trying not to stay in the tourist areas or where the expat concentration is unbearable (Hengshan Lu, Jing'an Si) and IHG certainly caters for that :D

The Crowne Plaza Shanghai on Panyu Road is a good/reasonably priced option. The location is in the French Concession and this local is better than any other IHG hotels in Shanghai. It is walking distance to a subway station and you can spend lots of time walking around the French Concession which is the nicest part of Shanghai, with the best restaurants/bars/lounges and boutique shops. Sure it is an older hotel, but as far as value for money it beats any of the other hotels you've mentioned. I've seen rates in the Rmb 500 range at this hotel. If I was staying in Shanghai for a quick holiday this would be my choice.

Pudong is underrated, as most people only see Lujiazui area. Further out, life is back and even the area around IC Pudong (where I'm spending the next four weeks at) has plenty to offer apart from office buildings and malls. Arguably, it's far from the tourists spots.

I used live over there.... in the single nicest apartment complex that mere mortals can afford, and I DIDN'T like it. It's almost as if that I wasn't in Shanghai.

What's more, I'm 100% certain that travelinmanS and I have the means to convert you into a Jing'an booster; there is so much more to our neighborhood than Malone's and Bamboo.

[...]

What's more, I'm 100% certain that travelinmanS and I have the means to convert you into a Jing'an booster; there is so much more to our neighborhood than Malone's and Bamboo.

What, have you left Beijing to live in Shanghai now?

Jing'an has never impressed me (rather put me off) - so what you have in mind? ;)

Off topic, sorry.

I don't see how a tourist would want to stay in Pudong, unless they came all the way to China to enjoy the malls....


Lujiazui has it's perks. Starting with the SuperBrand Mall and World Financial Center. Plus, IC Pudong vs IC Puxi, transportation slightly more convenient to Pudong.

The Crowne Plaza Shanghai on Panyu Road is a good/reasonably priced option. The location is in the French Concession and this local is better than any other IHG hotels in Shanghai. It is walking distance to a subway station and you can spend lots of time walking around the French Concession which is the nicest part of Shanghai, with the best restaurants/bars/lounges and boutique shops. Sure it is an older hotel, but as far as value for money it beats any of the other hotels you've mentioned. I've seen rates in the Rmb 500 range at this hotel. If I was staying in Shanghai for a quick holiday this would be my choice.

+1, this place treated me well as a PC Plat with regular Ug's to club floor and club access.

As for the Shanghai location debate, I'm with moondog here. JingAn rocks.

What, have you left Beijing to live in Shanghai now?

Jing'an has never impressed me (rather put me off) - so what you have in mind? ;)

Off topic, sorry.

I've been splitting my time between BJ and SH for the past 6 months or so. Feel free to call me (same number) if you want to grab a beer.

My parents stayed at the IC Puxi for nearly a week last month as RAs and were quite disappointed with the service at the hotel, as well as the offerings at the club. YMMV, however.

I stayed at the Holiday Inn : Shanghai Vista for nearly a month in 2010 and it was amazing.

Got upgraded to a pretty big suite (separate living and bedroom), and it included all the softdrinks and juices in the minibar, 60Yuan of laundry per day (which can be carried forward until checkout date), the exec lounge and breakfast.

I usually ate breakfast in the lounge cuz it was quieter, but the bfast in the main resto was also quite good.

It's also about a 5 min walk to a metro station (don't remember the name) but not too far from Nanjing.

THe property is managed by some New Zealanders and while i was there I was personally greeted by the property manager and had a drink with her. A nice lady one evening.

Highly recommended by me :)

If you are a platinum member, at the HI Express in Zhabai, they put you in a suite...and total cost of a room is 35 usd a night....ok, not the greatest location, clean but average suite...but 35usd a night...that must be the biggest bargain ever...

If you are a platinum member, at the HI Express in Zhabai, they put you in a suite...and total cost of a room is 35 usd a night....ok, not the greatest location, clean but average suite...but 35usd a night...that must be the biggest bargain ever...

Agreed, I quite enjoyed the HIX Zhabei.

Spent 1 night at IC Puxi on a Points Break, arrived 11 pm and was out at 10 am so was very pleased to have to only spend 5k points. Very nice hotel too.

Used a BOGO to spend a weekend at the IC Expo with my now wife. Booked a club room and was upgraded to a corner suite. I agree with others that there isn't much around but taxis are cheap and I enjoyed the quiet. Great staff in the club lounge as well.

If your budget is large and you must stay at a ICH hotel, the Indigo is probably best for a new tourist to China. However, since you are in the heart of the tourist district, expect lots of noise, and high prices all around you.

If your budget is more modest, and your trip isn't happening until after July, then consider waiting for the next point breakers list. All you need is to find one near a subway. Taxi aren't expensive in Shanghai either (compared to North America/Europe). But then again, if your budget is small, the local no-frills chains are decent as well. (as mentioned earlier by moondog).

I stayed at ~half of the Shanghai hotels listed by the OP, and as a regular PLAT, I've been upgraded by almost all of them most of the time (~20 stays over the last 7 years)... The HI seem to be the most generous is providing upgrade/freebies for me in China. (better room, free minibar, free club access, free laundry, etc.), but upgrade is very very inconsistent, so don't expect it, and be pleasantly surprised.