Originally Posted by
moondog
Sure, go to Flair for a couple of hours to enjoy the best view in Shanghai, and then return to your well located hotel in order to actually experience Shanghai.
I guess it boils down to whether you want to experience the new Shanghai or the old Shanghai. And Shanghai is constantly changing so I don't think there's a right or wrong way to experience it. Most of the hotels mentioned are in fairly commercial/tourist locations, like Le Meriden, JW Tomorrow Square, Ren Yu Garden, and Westin. Pudong Ritz maybe a bit too financial, but the views are stunning. Lots of expats live in Jing'an and Huaihai Road, so I'm not sure if that's really the Shanghai experience anymore.
Taxi and Didi are cheap, so I personally would rather pick a hotel based on how nice the hotel is and being somewhat central, rather than focusing on a specific area