I am planning a short trip to Shanghai. I would like hotel and dining recommendations.

Also- anyone have any University contacts there?

Visa info?

I'm bringing this thread back up, hoping that someone will respond this time. I'm thinking of going to Shanghai over Thanksgiving - can get a very cheap fare on UA. Any opinions on Sheraton? Hilton? Intercontinental? Hyatt? What is the best location for a hotel?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Check Out

http://www.worldexecutive.com

http://www.shanghaiguide.com

http://www.thatsshanghai.com

Should get all your hotel requirements and restaurants here. Obviously hotels are a matter of budget, location and preference so its hard to make any reccomendations.

HOTELS: I'd pass on the Sheraton for sure (terrible location). IIRC, the Intercontinental is also pretty inconvenient (Pudong Road, right?). The Hilton is a bit run down, but sometimes they offer very good prices on suites. The Hyatt is certainly the most impressive hotel in Shanghai, but having to rely on that silly tunnel can be a real drag (I live in Lujiazui, myself). Basically, the PORTMAN (at Shanghai Center) is still the nicest hotel in Shanghai right now and I'd certainly stay there if you can get a decent rate -- they run specials all the time. If you want to save $, you might consider the Peace Hotel (right on the Bund), the RuiJin Hotel (probably the hippest hotel in Shanghai right now -- great location in Ruijin Park), or maybe the Sofitel or 4 Seasons. I don't have a good handle on the sub $50/night market right now, but would be happy to do a little digging if you're interested.

FOOD
As for food, I don't like Chinese food so you'll have to get those recs elsewhere, but I do consider myself an expert on other culinary options in SH. My favorite dining experience here is the Sunday brunch at the Portman for Y400 -- free flowing Moet, caviar, fresh oysters, crepes, souflets, filet mingon, you name it. (All the hotels have brunches, but this one's the best.)

At Xiantiandi (very touristy and yuppified, but you have to go there), lunch at Paulaner is good (great beer), as are burgers at Kabb and Cuban grub at Che. It's hard to really go wrong at Xiantiandi -- just check the menu before deciding because some of those places are a bit pricy.

Nearby, you might want to check out Park 97, where you'll find sister restaurants to some of the more popular places in Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong, including the very-popular California Club and Tokio Joe's. There's also a nice Italian place nearby called Di Marco -- reasonable prices.

Moving west, you'll come to Ruijin Park (see Ruijin Hotel above), which is between Ruijin 2 Rd. and Mao Ming S. Rd. The buildings there are pretty cool, and a lot of people like the Thai restaurant (La Na Thai) there and of course FACE, which is probably the most popular bar in SH these days.

Continuing west, there are lots of good eateries near the Shanxi Road subway station, including Tandoor (expensive Indian), Hai Zhi Xing (cheap sushi, all you can eat/drink), Just Be It (fondue), Sasha's (steaks++, nice atmosphere), Bali Laguna (Indonesian food in Jing An Park; great ambiance), plus lots of Brasilian BBQs.

In Pudong, you'll have to check out the Hyatt (Jin Mao Biulding) of course. I suggest cloud 9 (the appetizer platter is pretty good) for the view or the Itialian restaurant on the 54th floor (a very good value considering what you get). I'm also a big fan of the SunTory Lounge (Japanese), which is close by.

I suppose that's enough for one post. Feel free to email if you have any more questions.

Oops! I just realized this thread is over a year old.

[This message has been edited by moondog (edited 11-06-2002).]

Yeah, the thread is a year old, but now that it's been revived....

I stayed on a six-night HHonors award stay at the Shanghai Hilton (also called the Jing'An Hilton). It was fine -- no evidence of being "rundown" at least in the room I got or in the public areas. The location in the French Concession is very good; an interesting neighborhood in its own right, and subway line 2 is nearby. (Shanghai traffic is such that sometimes the subway is faster than a taxi!)

As an HHonors Diamond I had access to the executive lounge and the food there (both the breakfast and evening snacks) and service were very good.

FWIW, in Shanghai there is a branch of the famous Beijing restaurant Quan Ju De whose specialty is Beijing Duck; it's located on Huahai Road. Delicious!

Kathy

I will be staying in Shanghai for a couple of nights in February and I want a hotel that overlooks the river etc.
The Hyatt is one , but I believe that it is sometimes in the clouds, can any Ftalkers help?
Rgds

If you're looking for character, I'd recommend the Peace Hotel, North building.
http://www.shanghaipeacehotel.com/indexe.htm

Decent rates at http://www.asiatravel.com/china/shan...rth/index.html
Rich

Have a 5 day stay to plan at the St Regis and was wondering, when it is the best weather there. Like warm days without humidity. Spring? Early summer?

Thanks.

You are correct about the Hyatt. For a very similar view from Pudong across the river to the Bund the place to be is the Shangri-La. I stayed there many times before the telecoms industry slump forced us to use cheaper places. The rooms are good (especially the higher floor, Bund-facing ones) and the service fine. I also like the Japanese restuarant and B.A.T.S, the bar in the basement which had much better live music than is usual in Asia.

The climate here is similar to Washington DC. Fall is the nicest, followed by spring. It starts to get hot and muggy in early May. I really like the St. Regis, but be warned that it's in a very inconvenient location. I suggest you stay somewhere else and try to grab a dinner at the Itallian restaurant (best view I've seen anywhere in SH!). I'd go for the Hyatt over the Shangri-La if you can get a good rate. IMO the rooms and restaurants are nicer and it's just a classier place. Plus, the Shangri-La feels a little isolated because it's trapped between the mall and the river. Of course, the same goes for anywhere in Pudong (where I live) -- the YanAn Tunnel is my greatest enemy in SH.

PS - If you have St. Regis credit to burn, you might want to consider doing so at the Beijing location. Many people feel that the St. Regis is the nicest hotel up there these days.

[This message has been edited by moondog (edited 11-28-2002).]

Thanks for the fast response.

Is the Mall like in shopping?

Er, not in the sense that it is usually understood in the US, no

Personally I prefer the Shangri-La to the Hyatt - the Hyatt is just too over-the-top pretentious: the staff are too busy preening themselves in their oh-so-trendy black uniforms to actually give you any decent service. They also seem to expect outrageous (i.e. American) levels of tipping.

The Shangri-La is much more welcoming. Yes it is an older building, but not that old. Shangri-La consistently wins "best hotel chain in Asia" awards for good reason.

And the best way for a tourist to get across the river from the Shangri-La (or the Hyatt for that matter) is the metro or the ferry and then pick up a taxi on the other side.


[This message has been edited by christep (edited 11-29-2002).]

Christep,
Thanks for the info, I'll try the Shangri-La,definitely sounds better than the Hyatt.

Different than the US concept yes, but not that different. Here's a link:

http://www.superbrandmall.com/

At present, the SBM is still growing up, but it promises to be an awe-inspiring place (good or bad, is anyone's guess) once it really takes off. The best US comparison I think of is the Beverly Center, only much bigger, more crowded, and loaded with strange architectural features (such as coffee shops and bars that span multiple floors at angles).

A few more thoughts on the Shangri-la. I was there this morning and learned that they have a special rate of $160/night through 2-28, including breakfast (which is quite nice). I'm guessing you could get a room for about 20% less than that with good negotiating skills and/or a corporate account to reference.

The construction on the Shangri-la extension really is quite unsitely -- be sure to get a river view room.

As far as getting across the river's concerned, the boat is okay, but is a 1km walk from the hotel, you'll have to wait around 7 minutes, and once you get to Puxi, you're really not much better off with respect to traffic. The subway station is only around 300-400m away -- the main problems there are the excessive crowds and the possiblility of having to change trains at People's Square. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if you were only there for a few days, but these are the breaks I deal with on a regular basis that so often keep me on the east side of the river when I would otherwise go some place more interesting. The bottom line is that Puxi is much more interesting than Pudong so you might seriously consider staying over there. (The view of the bund is nice, but might not be worth the hassel.) As far as the Hyatt v. Shangrila debate is concerned, Christep's points are all valid. I just like the Hyatt because its uniqueness and facilities almost justify staying in Pudong.