China - Shanghai Hotel Advice

Hi!

I'm going on a trip to Shanghai with partner and mother in August, and wanted to ask for advice on which hotel to choose. We would obviously need two rooms, and a hotel that is relaxing as well as with a good location (pool and outdoor area would be great.)

I'm HHonors Gold, IHG Plat, Accor Gold and Club Carlson Gold - so would also prefer to use my status for this stay for upgrades.
I was looking at the two Hilton hotels in Shanghai, how is the newest one in Hongqiao. Is the location ok? Is it better to go for the older Hilton?
How about the Intercontinental Expo?
I've stayed at the Howard Johnson Business Club before, which was very nice.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated. It's too much of a jungle of hotels right now.

=)

The Howard Johnson is not in a good location and IIRC has no pool. There might be a few outdoor tables for drinks and food. There is a lounge for coffee, newspapers, but it does not offer breakfast or evening appetizers.

Shanghai is obviously a big city. Not many hotels have outdoor areas and many of the pools are indoor, although I recall several hotels in the French Concession area that are set in gardens, although not any associated with the brands you list. The new Peninsula on the Bund also has some outdoor space, but it is quite expensive.

On my first trip with my partner to Shanghai, we stayed at the Radisson hotel in the French Concession. It is set inside a compound that includes lits of green space and what I recall was separate buildings used by some Chinese elites. It's a great location, a short walk to the French Concession where one can explore all the old alleys. I quite liked it.

I also believe there is a pool at the hotel.

Some images: http://www.google.com/search?q=radisson+shanghai+french+concession&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&pwst=1&tbo=d&biw=1024&bih=672&tbm=isch&tbs=simg:CAESEgl--R9kDE3EkCHOrb14FPBFZg

Welcome to Flyertalk, vstenhjem. Please continue to follow this discussion in the FT China Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

The New Hilton is pretty nice but a bit off the track - it is however near Gubei / Hongmei Lu - a street with restaurants and bars where many expats go to. The old Hilton is better located IMO.

Shanghai is blazing hot during the summer but it is also very damp and cold during the winter. For this reason there are few if any hotels with outdoor pools. In your situation, I'd stay at the Hilton on Hua Shan Road. It's centrally located, walking distance to fantastic restaurants and the French Concession shops/streets for walking and offers a decent level of service. The Hongqiao Hilton is too far away to be appealing unless you enjoy cab rides to get anywhere interesting.

Another choice would be the Intercontinental Puxi. It's definitely not in as nice an area as the Hilton but it is only 3 subway stops away from People's square and the actual facilities are better than the Hilton with an entire building devoted to executive floor guests and a fantastic lounge for breakfast and cocktails. I stayed there over New Year's and as a Plat got a 1 bedroom suite with soaking tub. Staying in Pudong is akin to staying in New Jersey. :D

I would choose the Portman based on its pool alone (half indoor, half outdoor, and fabulous lawn area). I sort of like Gubei (Hongqiao) because it feels a bit less urban than other parts of Puxi, but it is a bit of trek going back and forth between there and town. My second favorite pool (Mandarin City) happens to be in Gubei just south of the Carefour.

Hi!

I'm going on a trip to Shanghai with partner and mother in August, and wanted to ask for advice on which hotel to choose. We would obviously need two rooms, and a hotel that is relaxing as well as with a good location (pool and outdoor area would be great.)

I'm HHonors Gold, IHG Plat, Accor Gold and Club Carlson Gold - so would also prefer to use my status for this stay for upgrades.
I was looking at the two Hilton hotels in Shanghai, how is the newest one in Hongqiao. Is the location ok? Is it better to go for the older Hilton?
How about the Intercontinental Expo?
I've stayed at the Howard Johnson Business Club before, which was very nice.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated. It's too much of a jungle of hotels right now.

=)

Shanghai is blazing hot during the summer but it is also very damp and cold during the winter. For this reason there are few if any hotels with outdoor pools.

In addition to the Portman, the Purple Mountain comes to mind, but that place might as well be on Mars. In any event, the Portman's pool is really nice. I used to be a member of their gym (barter deal), but now I can only avail of the their facilities when I have guests staying there; I'll be sure to let you know the next time an opportunity knocks.

I'd also be surprised if one or more of the newer hotels in town doesn't have an outdoor pool.

In any case, if anyone can think of a nicer outdoor hotel pool than the Portman's, I want to know about it.

In any case, if anyone can think of a nicer outdoor hotel pool than the Portman's, I want to know about it.

The New World Hotel in Changning (across the street from Zhongshan Park) is a decent location and has a nice, large outdoor pool. There are strangely no photos on their own website, but a couple (one (http://media.expedia.com/hotels/1000000/920000/914300/914218/914218_29_b.jpg) two (http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/16/4a/72/mayfair-hotel-shanghai.jpg)) floating around elsewhere.

As far as the nicest pool in general goes, my vote is for the one in the Shimao Riviera Garden complex. Last I checked, public admission was 120 RMB.

the JW Marriot at Tomorrow Square has an indoor and outdoor pool - I remembered suddenly as they had great weekend pool parties there :cool:

Congrats OP, I'm officially making this thread the official Shanghai hotel thread. I've updated the FAQ accordingly.

Since you mentioned you were a Club Carlson Gold, you may wish to consider the Radisson New World (on Nanjing Road) as well. No green space on the physical property, but if you cross the street you will end up in Peoples Park. Definitely make a point to wander around this park if you have the chance.

I have stayed in this Radisson multiple times and have not had an issue.

The location is between the Le Meridien and the JW Marriott. This particular area is great for people watching, museums and so forth. I have not stayed in the Marriott property, but the Le Meridien property was lovely (at least it was when I stayed there the year it opened).

Other hotel options (with good pools):

Puli Hotel: centrally located downtown next to small park, nice outdoor seating, good rooms & amenities, infinity pool (indoor).

Peninsula: located on the Bund, best spa in town, nice pool with outdoor terrace.

Hyatt on the Bund: quality pool and spa, decent location (north-Bund), nice bar at top floor.

Intercontinental Expo: i know its out of the way in Pudong, but i have a soft spot for this hotel. A great spa and swimming pool (very private, usually no-one there), outdoor seating area, and great river views from the gym.

And i'd choose the Shanghai Hilton over Hongqiao Hilton anyday, unless i had business in that part of town.

Ended up booking the Radisson New World.
http://www.radissonblu.com/newworldhotel-shanghai/rooms/family-suite
Read a lot of positive comments, and I've visited the top floor last time I was in town:) says the room is 105 sqm with two separate bedrooms, so perfect!
Cancellable until the day before, did I fail? :D

There's a western four star property across the main road from Fudan University (not convenient for subway) that looks new and attractive with lots of outdoor space and IIRC an outdoor pool. It tends to get a lot of university business, including international academic conferences. My guess is that it's a Crowne Plaza, but i'm not sure, with maybe five hundred rooms.

Fudan also has several Chinese hotels/conference centers right on campus without swimming pools, etc., sort of local three-star properties without a lot of English spoken fluently. IMO these are not appropriate for foreign individual tourists and I'm not sure whether they're easily bookable by the general public or individual foreigners.

[QUOTE=MSPeconomist;18705779]There's a western four star property across the main road from Fudan University (not convenient for subway) that looks new and attractive with lots of outdoor space and IIRC an outdoor pool. It tends to get a lot of university business, including international academic conferences. My guess is that it's a Crowne Plaza, but i'm not sure, with maybe five hundred rooms.

Yes, it is a Crowne Plaza. I've stayed there three times this year, and would recommend it to people with reasons to be near Fudan University. The rooms are reasonably nice, the service is good - especially on the 19th Floor Club Room, and the food in the main restaurant is more than acceptable (hand pulled noodles!).

The Crowne Plaza is, as MSPeconomists implies, some distance from the main attractions of the city - 20 minutes by cab to the Bund; 30 to the former French Concession depending on traffic. But I might disagree about subway access - a 15 minute walk down Gouquan Lu brings you to a station for the #10 line. The #10 has stops at Nanjing Lu, Yu Yuan (ancient garden), Xintiandi, the Concession, and JiaoTong University.

[QUOTE=MSPeconomist;18705779]There's a western four star property across the main road from Fudan University (not convenient for subway) that looks new and attractive with lots of outdoor space and IIRC an outdoor pool. It tends to get a lot of university business, including international academic conferences. My guess is that it's a Crowne Plaza, but i'm not sure, with maybe five hundred rooms.

Yes, it is a Crowne Plaza. I've stayed there three times this year, and would recommend it to people with reasons to be near Fudan University. The rooms are reasonably nice, the service is good - especially on the 19th Floor Club Room, and the food in the main restaurant is more than acceptable (hand pulled noodles!).

The Crowne Plaza is, as MSPeconomists implies, some distance from the main attractions of the city - 20 minutes by cab to the Bund; 30 to the former French Concession depending on traffic. But I might disagree about subway access - a 15 minute walk down Gouquan Lu brings you to a station for the #10 line. The #10 has stops at Nanjing Lu, Yu Yuan (ancient garden), Xintiandi, the Concession, and JiaoTong University.
I remember it as being more than a fifteen minute walk. In fact, you're about halfway between the old elevated subway line closer to the Howard Johnsons and the new line (a couple years old) at the new shopping center that goes very close to the Bund.

Does anyone have any central Shanghai BUDGET hotel recommendations?
Online booking would be nice.
I will be there in February.

Thanks!

Does anyone have any central Shanghai BUDGET hotel recommendations?
Online booking would be nice.
I will be there in February.

Thanks!

Yan'an Hotel
Jing'an Hotel
Shanghai Hotel

They are all near the Hilton, and cost less than $100 per night. If you go with the latter, be sure to get one of the better rooms because the lesser rooms are really tiny.

If you want to spend a little less ($50 to $60), focus on some of the budget chains like 168 and Jinjiang. Some of these are in decent locations (e.g. there is a 168 near JA Temple).

Great!
Yes. I definitely want to keep it under $60USD if possible.

Great!
Yes. I definitely want to keep it under $60USD if possible.

I recently started a thread on budget hotels in Beijing in the budget travel forum. The insights there are also applicable to Shanghai, although some of the chains are different.

But, my big Shanghai tip is to stay somewhere central, preferably near a metro station. Here is my ranking of districts:

1) Jing'an (as close to the temple as possible)
2) Xuhui (Fuxing Road is a really nice street for walking and taking pictures)
3) Luwan
4) People's Square
5) Xuijiahui (this might be part of Xuhui, but it is its own beast)
6) The Bund area
7) Gubei (a bit off the beaten path, but there are nice restaurants out there, and you get a bit more of a nature feel)

I would avoid: Zhabei, Putuo, Minhang, and anywhere on the east side of the river (Pudong).

If you do end up at a 168 or similar budget chain, buying a VIP card upon checkin (regular level for short stays, or gold card for ~5 days or more) is a complete no brainer.

The motel168.com website seems to be a bit of a disaster (e.g. they make it difficult to search for hotels that aren't in Zhabei, Putuo, or Pudong), but you could always call them, or use a third party site like ctrip (in this case, you might not get the VIP rate/benefit on your first night). Have a Shanghai map (e.g. smartshanghai.com) loaded during the booking process because you will have a miserable time if they stick you in a bad location.

Budget hotels:

http://www.homeinns.com/
http://www.998.com/eng/

I'd just go to ctrip.

Great!
Yes. I definitely want to keep it under $60USD if possible.

The Holiday Inn Express Zhabei can be had for about 270 RMB ($45). I spent a couple of nights there my first time in China and would return. I'll be staying at the Holiday Inn Express Putuo next month for 2 nights ($52 per night) before heading on to Yichang.

Great!
Yes. I definitely want to keep it under $60USD if possible.

There's a 168 on Jingling Dong Lu, well located.

An FT'er I know stayed at the Captain Hostel on Fuzhou Lu, also well located, meets your price point.

What does the 168 VIP card cost and what do you get for it?

What does the 168 VIP card cost and what do you get for it?

There are 3 different tiers. The cheapest one is usually a wash after just one night, while the 2nd two require longer stays in order to get in the black. You can do the math when you check in; make sure you buy the card during check-in (as opposed to during your stay or at checkout); otherwise you won't get the discount. All of the budget chains I've aware of use a similar system.

What does the 168 VIP card cost and what do you get for it?

The card(s) is (are) no longer available, AFAIK. Existing cards can, however, be used indefinetily.

The card(s) is (are) no longer available, AFAIK. Existing cards can, however, be used indefinetily.

It seems that all of the budget hotels I know of in Beijing (e.g. YoYo, Home Inn, Super 8, Starway, Orange) still offer them, but I can definitely see the flaw in the business model because they are basically giving away money that people would otherwise pay them without thinking twice.

Off topic (but, very slightly related), I learned just yesterday that KFC has a lunch menu, which offers a sandwich, 2 pieces of chicken, and a drink for y15. I've spent y15.5 for the sandwich itself during lunch hour many times (and occasionally y28 for the "meal deal") in the past, and nobody ever bothered to direct my attention to the lunch menu.

It seems that all of the budget hotels I know of in Beijing (e.g. YoYo, Home Inn, Super 8, Starway, Orange) still offer them, but I can definitely see the flaw in the business model because they are basically giving away money that people would otherwise pay them without thinking twice.

Off topic (but, very slightly related), I learned just yesterday that KFC has a lunch menu, which offers a sandwich, 2 pieces of chicken, and a drink for y15. I've spent y15.5 for the sandwich itself during lunch hour many times (and occasionally y28 for the "meal deal") in the past, and nobody ever bothered to direct my attention to the lunch menu.

Do they have discount cards like McD's?

Anyone know anything about the Paramount Gallery Hotel? Seen a reasonable offer for it, curious about quality and if it is as convenient to the Bund as it sounds.

Anyone know anything about the Paramount Gallery Hotel? Seen a reasonable offer for it, curious about quality and if it is as convenient to the Bund as it sounds.

Where do they say it's convenient to the Bund? It is convenient to Jing'an Temple, which is about as central as it gets, but the Bund is 2+ miles away. I wouldn't hesitate to give it a try.

ETA: I just walked by it on my way to the subway 10 minutes ago. I actually never knew there was a hotel there (I do the same walk at least 5 times a week). It looks pretty good from the street, and has a door on NJ Road (in addition to its main entry on the back side; the one they show in the pictures on their website)... very close to Line 2 and the #2 bus.

Any thoughts on the 88 xintianti? I'm most interested to be within walking distance to bars, restaurants and shopping

Thanks

Any thoughts on the 88 xintianti? I'm most interested to be within walking distance to bars, restaurants and shopping

Thanks

Why not try out 12 Hengshan instead? (I've yet to go there myself, but it's new, and the neighborhood is nicer... not that Luwan is bad.)

Why not try out 12 Hengshan instead? (I've yet to go there myself, but it's new, and the neighborhood is nicer... not that Luwan is bad.)

Thanks for the suggestion. I will check it out.

Any thoughts on the 88 xintianti? I'm most interested to be within walking distance to bars, restaurants and shopping

Thanks

I can't comment on that 88 but I know the 88 on Fumin Lu is not to be missed.:D

I stayed at The Bund Riverside Hotel last December. 10-min walk to Nanjing road and 15-min walk to The Bund. Good value for money.

Baron Business Bund Hotel is about the same distance to the two attractions. There is a popular jazz club nearby.

Anyone know how far 12 hengshan hotel is from the hengshan rd stop on the 1 line? Or am I better off taking a cab?

Anyone know how far 12 hengshan hotel is from the hengshan rd stop on the 1 line? Or am I better off taking a cab?

It's really close, and the Shanghai Library stop on Line 10 is also nearby. But, I wouldn't dream of using the subway to go to/from PVG.

It's really close, and the Shanghai Library stop on Line 10 is also nearby. But, I wouldn't dream of using the subway to go to/from PVG.

Taxi it is!

I've been in PVG for a bit more than a month now and am a bit ashamed that I haven't found this thread before now. I'll be here for at least another few weeks, so better late than never.

I prefer to be near Bund Center for work reasons. I have primarily stayed at the Westin, but have ended up at the Grand Hyatt (I know, not near Bund Center) a few times to burn some suite upgrades.

I have SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, so am thinking of checking out the Le Meridian or the Waldorf Astoria. I'm also willing to jump outside this loyalty program box and spend a few nights at the Fairmont or the Four Seasons.

The cost constraint is in the US$200-$250/night range, although I have access to some very attractive corporate rates, and see that most hotels I've looked at can be found within my range, at least on some nights.

So - if you were to recommend a few fun/nice/interesting hotels in PVG that should not be missed, what would they be?

Thank you.

I've been in PVG for a bit more than a month now and am a bit ashamed that I haven't found this thread before now. I'll be here for at least another few weeks, so better late than never.

I prefer to be near Bund Center for work reasons. I have primarily stayed at the Westin, but have ended up at the Grand Hyatt (I know, not near Bund Center) a few times to burn some suite upgrades.

I have SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, so am thinking of checking out the Le Meridian or the Waldorf Astoria. I'm also willing to jump outside this loyalty program box and spend a few nights at the Fairmont or the Four Seasons.

The cost constraint is in the US$200-$250/night range, although I have access to some very attractive corporate rates, and see that most hotels I've looked at can be found within my range, at least on some nights.

So - if you were to recommend a few fun/nice/interesting hotels in PVG that should not be missed, what would they be?

Thank you.

GH suite upgrades are good to use in Shanghai. Other cool hotels if you ask me:

PC: Hotel Indigo on Bund
HH: Waldorf Astoria, some really like Hilton Shanghai in JingAn (club is great)
Longemont (might have changed) in Puxi was great, esp club floor views

I've been in PVG for a bit more than a month now and am a bit ashamed that I haven't found this thread before now. I'll be here for at least another few weeks, so better late than never.

I prefer to be near Bund Center for work reasons. I have primarily stayed at the Westin, but have ended up at the Grand Hyatt (I know, not near Bund Center) a few times to burn some suite upgrades.

I have SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, HH Diamond, so am thinking of checking out the Le Meridian or the Waldorf Astoria. I'm also willing to jump outside this loyalty program box and spend a few nights at the Fairmont or the Four Seasons.

The cost constraint is in the US$200-$250/night range, although I have access to some very attractive corporate rates, and see that most hotels I've looked at can be found within my range, at least on some nights.

So - if you were to recommend a few fun/nice/interesting hotels in PVG that should not be missed, what would they be?

Thank you.

If you send me an email, I will alert those guys of your existence, and they will treat you like a rock star.