Originally Posted by
narvik
There seems to be some conflating going on here leading to misleading conclusions.
There were (are?) SOME districts in Shanghai that allowed the choice of Quarantine hotel, providing one's final destination was in those districts.
This did not -and does not- apply to all non-participating districts or anyone with a final destination outside of Shanghai.
1. It is possible to book a specific hotel before you leave your home country, assuming you or your employer are well connected; MNCs like Apple and SOEs have an advantage in this area
2. Failing that, when you arrive in Shanghai, you have the opportunity to pick a district (but, almost certainly not a specific property) from the ~9 on offer. The people at individual district desks ask for an address, which you may or may not need to prove (e.g. lease, piece of mail, temp residence form, business card, invitation letter, etc)
3. If you're final destination is outside of Shanghai and you tell them this, you're probably stuck with luck of the draw, BUT if your company has an office in Shanghai, and you like the area (you can't leave your room so location doesn't matter too much, but maybe there are good food delivery options), it doesn't hurt to say that you'd prefer to stay nearby
4. It is okay (and common) to change your post-quarantine plan during those 2 weeks; you just need to advise the hotel on day 13 where you are going next