TOMFORD

For those who do not care for touristy stuff and hotel activities (e.g. spas), but would consider location (e.g. availability of taxis, proximity to subway stations), breakfast quality, and room newness important - which would you stay at - the Four Seasons PuDong or the Mandarin Oriental?

I have stayed at the FS and loved the pearl view rooms. Those are fantastic. And the pool! Oh man, that one was the best pools I have been in. Are all MO rooms facing Huangpu river, or do some not get a view of the river at all? From the pictures on trip advisor, they all seem to be facing the river. The MO website says so as well, but I just wanted to confirm and see if anyone here had any experiences at either one of these places. These two places are the only two places I am considering.

pricesquire

Currently booked at FS PD. Seems like the better option of the two. If you decide otherwise, I'm all ears, as my rate is quite refundable

luxury

agp423, when are you going? I will be in Shanghai at the end of July and will be staying at both, one after the other (2 nights FS Pudong, followed by one night at the MO) so would be happy to report back.

TOMFORD

I have a definite trip for the first week of September, but might need to go as early as late June / early July. I would love to hear how the MO is. I have been recommended via PM the Peninsula, but I need to be close to SWFC for work, close enough for me to run there in a three piece suit. I prefer to be close to a subway station as well so that when I'm not working it'll be easy to get around.

I have stayed at the FS and loved every minute of it, especially the view. The FS breakfast spread good, nothing spectacular, but by no means was it dull. And when I say breakfast spread, I mean breakfast spread, spread across three different rooms.






More on the breakfast from my March/April TR.






Camelia at night: those little reflective things hanging from the window move at the slightest airflow, flickering throughout.



The buffet features an extensive western selection of fruits, hot food, pastry, as well as a decent eastern selection of congee, dim sum, and other things such as fried noodles and fried rice. The wait staff will ask you for your choice of drink when you are seated, and will ask you if you would like freshly made eggs. Also, it has some big, thick slices of bacon.

pricesquire

@agp423: I'll be there the first week of September, too! Meet at the bar?

TOMFORD

Have to decide on a hotel first!

luxury

I have just completed 2 nights at FS Pudong and 1 night at the MO. I am currently at FS Shanghai Puxi. I have site inspected the Park Hyatt and will site inspect the Grand Hyatt tomorrow. I also move to the Peninsula tomorrow.

I am collecting my thoughts will post them likely over the weekend.

TOMFORD

Excited to hear about this!

BENLEE

Wow...those views and pics looks great! ^

Have a business trip coming up in Shanghai. Maybe I can squeeze in 1 or 2 nights after that.

TOMFORD

The pool at the FS is amazing. I know I started this thread asking for help deciding which hotel to stay at, but I went ahead and booked a 5 day, 2 room stay at the FS for this September. One will be a pearl view room (same as above), the other a city view room. I will be posting a TR some time in late September as well.

luxury

After staying at both FS Pudong and MO Pudong back to back I would give the edge to the Four Seasons. The room product is excellent -- among the best designed and well thought out rooms I have stayed in. Electrical outlets where you need them; power strip at the desk; dual vanities in the bathroom and a great shower.

The MO room is also very good. It is a tad smaller than the FS and the bathroom is VERY open concept. It is, unless you close it off via sliding doors, open to the main portion of the room. Rooms are River view but not all of them are created equally, view wise. Some are, literally, river view, as in you can see the river. It is not necessarily a nice view of the river, nor is it necessarily a view of the nice part of the river.

What give the FS the edge is location. The MO feels isolated and desolate. The FS along hotel row in Century Avenue is key. Another factor for me was that the MO internet is rather slow. The complimentary internet at the FS is decent enough but at least there is an option to pay for premium access which is markedly faster. There is also no problems accessing Google, etc, from the FS (actually both FS' and the Park Hyatt) but one will have problems with the Great FireWall at the MO (and the Peninsula for that matter).

A couple last thoughts -- the Jr. Suite is the accommodation you want at the FS Pudong. Corner rooms with an open plan layout is great for longer stays or with a significant other/travel partner.

Camelia was closed for renovations during my stay and just reopened on Tuesday of this week. I went earlier today to visit upon invitation from Rainer Stampfer, GM of the hotel. It is no longer a french restaurant and is now an Italian restaurant with a pizza oven. Their pizza's are large and very good -- the menu is fairly compact but all seem excellently curated and executed. Apparently, FS feels that a casual italian eatery is a better fit in relation to their upscale chinese restaurant, ShangXi (which is excellent by the way) and for the immediate area, rather than a high end Caprice (FSHK) and Le Cinq (FSGV) french restaurant.

I will write up a formal report on the Shanghai hotels I stayed at/viewed, with photos, hopefully over the weekend.

TOMFORD

Thanks for the review, luxury. It's good to get your affirmation on my decisions.

I have dined at Camelia when it was a French restaurant, and they had some of the blandest dishes around. The only thing good was the lobster/crab bisque, which actually was an amuse bouche and not on the menu.