Originally Posted by jiejie

The best of the lot is probably the Marriott City Wal, which is about 10 minutes' walk east of the station. It's relatively new.

Closest is the Howard Johnson Paragon is a middling place right across the street from the front plaza. About 15 minutes' walk away is the Novotel Xinqiao to the west. I think the International Hotel which is 10 minutes to the north has gone down quite a bit. These are all older hotels. The News Plaza Hotel is also about 15 minutes' away and is newer but government-owned and caters to Chinese not foreigners. Traffic patterns due to the one-ways and street barriers make vehicular access and egress a bit of a headache around Main Station.

Given that you're flying out the next day, I think you are approaching this hotel issue incorrectly. I suggest that you pick a better location and get into the taxi queue outside the front of the station after you arrive. It will be a bit painful in morning traffic but far better to take it upfront rather than the following day. If you're OK with this, there are many more and better hotels that we could recommend in different price ranges, particularly on the east side of town which would also make your escape easier the next day.

www.ctrip.com is a domestically-based travel agent that is user-friendly for foreigners, and has good prices. For hotels, I use them regularly and also www.elong.net and www.sinohotel.com. They also have a wider range of hotels in their databases than the overseas online agents do. Or if you are in a loyalty program and can use points, deal with the hotel system directly.