Originally Posted by BESVISOR

The Peninsula is always a safe bet and great choice for a first time visit.

Something that's not brought up often but I've had great feedback on are the newer: The Middle House (also mentioned above by [MENTION=143771]chinmoylad[/MENTION]) and Bulgari. Both are a bit more tucked away than the likes of Peninsula, etc...on the bund. So that's part of the cons or pros, depending on the person.
But thinking The Peninsula for first time is surely a great choice.

While it's not one of the top properties in PVG, I do have a soft spot for the Park Hyatt. Probably because I actually really love that building and (weather dependent) views from it. The suites are very large and nice as well (contemporary).