Originally Posted by
travelinmanS
Was checking prices of the SPG hotels in Shanghai today for a colleague and I can't believe how much this hotel is asking for a night. The location is terrible compared to many of the other better priced Stariott hotels. One would have to be a real fan of the "W" vibe to feel like there is good value from staying at this hotel. The 12 on Hengshan is much better situated as is the ST. R and LMR. Not sure what the value proposition is for this place. I'd expect to see rates drop within the next year.
It's new and anything new seems to attract a premium in Shanghai (and a lot of Asia) for the experience - it seems to have also become the choice of the fashion crowd in Shanghai which surely isn't helping prices. I think most reviews seem to suggest it is a better hotel than most of the above though (location aside) as this is positioned as an extremely premium new style Asian W rather than anything like the mediocre US/European properties; certainly if you're considering Le Royal Méridien at the same time you're looking at hotels in two different market segments, a potential LRM customer is not really the same person as a potential W customer here.