Recently wrapped up a stay at the Thompson. I purchased the 1,688CNY package on Hyatt’s WeChat official mall with a set dinner eligible for WoH tier credits. The property’s busy and in high demand for conferences (there was a tech product launch and a few smaller events at the hotel during my stay), concerts at the Mercedes-Benz arena (which there was one over the subsequent weekend – I stayed on a Thursday night) and local Globalists attaining the brand explorer badge. There were a total of 8 standard suites across two room types, all were sold out long before checking in. Expect a River View Deluxe for Globalist upgrades when standard suites are sold out.

Hard product wise the hotel sits between Hyatt Centric Zhongshan Park and Andaz Nanjing, and unfortunately not a major step up from the Mumian/Unbound next door. Thompson’s signature design language translates well with a dark palette, metal finishes and leather couch. It’d be curious to see how the materials hold up after years of use. The owners clearly cheapened out in the bathroom with a low end bidet (from a Chinese brand called Moen) and bathroom hardwares in general. One major gripe I have are the bath amenities. Thompson’s brand standard (Bowmakers by DS & Durga) is nothing to write home about, but the amenities here branded “KudosSpa” have an overpowering scent reminiscent of cheap colognes. They are genuinely unpleasant to smell or use, and I’d strongly suggest you bring your own products. The slippers (as found in some US Thompsons) and shaving kit were of good quality, but not enough as saving graces for the abhorrent bath products. Another major gripe were temperatures inside the room and at the gym. Rooms were locked at 24 degrees Celsius unless requesting for an override, whereas the gym was much warmer than that, making workouts incredibly uncomfortable. Being connected to the heated pool does not help with climate.

Breakfast at Fisherman’s Pavilion was a highlight, albeit the relatively small spread. Pastries are some of the best I’ve had at a hotel (or anywhere) in China. Croissants, pain au chocolates and danishes were all freshly baked on the spot and delivered to table. The restaurant’s interpretation of shakshuka was really good, so were the fresh juices, avocado smoothie and smoked salmon. The hot buffet spread was far less impressive, and à la carte wonton and other dim sum dishes were obviously reheated frozen products. Thompson generally builds upon Hyatt of China’s prowess of good breakfasts.

The package included a dinner for two at either Fisherman’s Pavilion or Tots, the hotel’s rooftop bar/lounge. Kudos to the hotel for extending my meal time at Tots till right before kitchen closes at midnight having noted my late arrival (normally it’d be before 9:30pm for the package dinner). Tots’ Italian fares were just okay, but Tiramisu and cocktails were decent (many of the bar team were transferred from Punch Room at the Edition). Tots is an expansive space spanning the entire top floor with a sizable semi open air area. It’s hard to see how this space could be anywhere near filled up given the location, and during my visit at 11:30pm on a Thursday night only two or three other tables were present. Tots closes Mondays and Tuesdays.

The hotel feels like an Andaz “lite” or a glorified Hyatt Centric. It’s not to say the experience is lackluster, but the vibe is clearly different from Thompsons in Palm Springs, Austin, or Madrid as hard as it tries to mimic them. The Thompson is more or less a run-off-the-mill full-service Hyatt catered to MICE with a few design quirks, and not having a pool deck feels like a missed opportunity to me. More photos in the spoilers tag.


Small lobby

Bedroom