Although I said that I would unlikely stay at Grand Hyatt Shanghai again, circumstances made me book here in end-October. My comments on this hotel have not changed much:

• Arrived hotel around 2:00pm on Sunday, and the lobby was crowded with guests lining up to check in. I would assume that the hotel is still not allowing guests to early check in. I went up to one of the Associates controlling the line up, and asked if I could check in at the Grand Club Lounge. She immediately took me to the elevators, without even checking my Globalist credentials.
• Went to evening cocktails. No associates to show me to a vacant table. Was told to just walk in and choose any vacant table. Many tables were uncleaned (I do not understand why, since I went only 30 min after cocktails had started), so I was not sure which tables were vacant or not??!! I thought the evening spread during my last stay was mediocre and could do no worse. I was wrong. This time was worse. Very little variety, and the quality and taste were "garbage".
• I did not even consider going to the Grand Club for breakfast during my two-night stay. On one morning, I went to Starbucks; on the other, I visited Baker & Spice at IFC.
• On the day of checkout, I returned to the hotel after a meeting and went straight to the Grand Club. I asked to be checked out first, and then to give me an extra 30 min on the keys so that I could go to my room to make a call and then grab my luggage to go. The Associate refused to do this. I was shocked, since I had done this at this hotel (and other hotels) many times before. I asked for the Duty Manager to clarify, but before he/she could come to the Grand Club, the Associate relented and proceeded to process my payment, while keeping my keep my key active for another 30 min (he stressed, 30 min).

The only consolation was that my nightly rate was quite low, at CNY 920/night booked on Hyatt.com.