Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund {CHN}
Jul 14, 2017, 10:15 pm
#166
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 2,887
I would agree that if they have availability of River view they will upgrade you to that. Rooms are large ...suites range in size depending on whether they are in the corner, and the heritage suites are amazing...in my mind almost too big for a few nights stay. .more like an apartment, but really beautiful..
Jul 16, 2017, 12:28 am
#167
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: San Francisco, CA & Bangkok (Home)/Lawrenceville & Switzerland (Boarding School)/Baltimore, MD (College)
Programs: DL DM, AL MVPG 75K, SQ Gold, BA Silver, HH Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriot Plat, Hertz Pres Circle
Posts: 599
Booked a stay for my mother's birthday. Excited to try out this WA.
Apr 23, 2018, 9:20 pm
#172
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,652
This hotel plays some serious jenga with room allocation.
Booked a paid stay for a "deluxe" room and e-mailed in advance requesting a river view. Morning of check in at least 6+ river rooms were available for my entire stay via hilton.com. Right before check in they had all disappeared and I had not been upgraded in the app. Enquired at check in and was offered a river view for half the nights and a deluxe city view suite for the other half. I said sounds great, but I needed to consult my schedule for a time to change rooms so it worked for the hotel and myself.
The night before I was scheduled to change I went to the front desk and said I didn't know what their availability looked like, but was it possible to stay in the same room and if not, I'm happy to switch but needed to move either before XX or after XX due to scheduling, both which were reasonable times during the day. I was told that someone the next morning would call me in the room at XX time to let me know either way. So the next morning comes and the time passes so I call downstairs and they have no idea what I'm talking about. So I go downstairs and the desk agent says very curtly and without even looking up from her keyboard, "You need to leave the room." Some hospitality! So I explained for the third time, I am more than happy to change rooms but need to do it before or after certain times. Again, I'm not begging to stay in the same room, I'm asking what do you want me to do and when can we do it? 45 minutes later I get a call from the front desk, "Hello, I understand you want to change rooms?" Um.... ok. All this unnecessary drama for a simple room change.
Oh, and there were at least 4+ river rooms for sale in the app past 8 pm for the remainder of my stay.
Anyway, let's get to the room. There's an electronic panel by the bed that controls everything, except there's also a DND and "make up the room" switch at the door that's so lightly embossed you'd never know it. So I kept changing privacy and housekeeping settings without knowing it and thought the bed control was broken. That one's on me. None of the actual switches are intuitive or match up to proper fixtures. So you may take five full minutes fumbling around before you get what you want.
Welcome gift of plated fruit and a jar of shortbread cookies.
Welcome drink taken at the Long Bar which everyone should check out. I was offered a cocktail of my choosing instead of a stingy Diamond menu.
Breakfast at Grand Brasserie was plentiful with quality ranging from fair to very good. A la carte menu available and complimentary for Diamonds.
The deluxe river room had two VERY BRIGHT lights illuminated which I ended up getting duct taped over at nearly 1 am. They kept trying to explain they were motion sensors, or nightlights or whatever. They motion sensors were different. In the second room, these bright lights were off with no intervention. Clearly an electrical bug.
The suite is spacious and tasteful but the furnishings are more of granny's taste than modern, sleek or contemporary.
Dinner at Grand Brasserie was terrible. While the plating was excellent, I'm not sure how they make a salad with a stone cold poached egg and a bacon portion obviously cooked for breakfast and stored for dinner. And I was the only person in the restaurant for the entire meal. Big mistake to waste a meal there.
Concierge was capable and helpful including writing several destinations on taxi cards.
Perhaps the piece de resistance was the drunk gentleman throwing up all over the lobby in to a WA waste basket. Now, I certainly can't fault the hotel for having a drunk visitor. What I couldn't figure out was, with so many staff on the floor and so many cameras and in such a visible location, why am I pointing out this sick fellow to the hotel? I suggested someone may be in need of medical assistance and the response I got was "he's drunk."
So while the view is spectacular and the rooms certainly passable by a luxury standard and the staff helpful and accommodating, there were too many "off" things.
But here's some tips if you find yourself there:
LAUNDRY
Laundry Express :. Shanghai Green Dry Cleaning and Laundry Delivery Service is a GREAT service that will pick up your laundry and drop it off for cheap. I had a 20 hour turnaround and everything was packaged perfectly. They're not good at responding to e-mails, so place an order online and ask the concierge to confirm it the day before.
BAR
There are so many great bars on the Bund, but I urge you try Captain Bar around the corner. It's located on the top floor of a hostel and I won't tell you anything else other than prepare to be wowed when you turn the corner. Really one of Shanghai's best bars.
overall hotel score: 8/10
Booked a paid stay for a "deluxe" room and e-mailed in advance requesting a river view. Morning of check in at least 6+ river rooms were available for my entire stay via hilton.com. Right before check in they had all disappeared and I had not been upgraded in the app. Enquired at check in and was offered a river view for half the nights and a deluxe city view suite for the other half. I said sounds great, but I needed to consult my schedule for a time to change rooms so it worked for the hotel and myself.
The night before I was scheduled to change I went to the front desk and said I didn't know what their availability looked like, but was it possible to stay in the same room and if not, I'm happy to switch but needed to move either before XX or after XX due to scheduling, both which were reasonable times during the day. I was told that someone the next morning would call me in the room at XX time to let me know either way. So the next morning comes and the time passes so I call downstairs and they have no idea what I'm talking about. So I go downstairs and the desk agent says very curtly and without even looking up from her keyboard, "You need to leave the room." Some hospitality! So I explained for the third time, I am more than happy to change rooms but need to do it before or after certain times. Again, I'm not begging to stay in the same room, I'm asking what do you want me to do and when can we do it? 45 minutes later I get a call from the front desk, "Hello, I understand you want to change rooms?" Um.... ok. All this unnecessary drama for a simple room change.
Oh, and there were at least 4+ river rooms for sale in the app past 8 pm for the remainder of my stay.
Anyway, let's get to the room. There's an electronic panel by the bed that controls everything, except there's also a DND and "make up the room" switch at the door that's so lightly embossed you'd never know it. So I kept changing privacy and housekeeping settings without knowing it and thought the bed control was broken. That one's on me. None of the actual switches are intuitive or match up to proper fixtures. So you may take five full minutes fumbling around before you get what you want.
Welcome gift of plated fruit and a jar of shortbread cookies.
Welcome drink taken at the Long Bar which everyone should check out. I was offered a cocktail of my choosing instead of a stingy Diamond menu.
Breakfast at Grand Brasserie was plentiful with quality ranging from fair to very good. A la carte menu available and complimentary for Diamonds.
The deluxe river room had two VERY BRIGHT lights illuminated which I ended up getting duct taped over at nearly 1 am. They kept trying to explain they were motion sensors, or nightlights or whatever. They motion sensors were different. In the second room, these bright lights were off with no intervention. Clearly an electrical bug.
The suite is spacious and tasteful but the furnishings are more of granny's taste than modern, sleek or contemporary.
Dinner at Grand Brasserie was terrible. While the plating was excellent, I'm not sure how they make a salad with a stone cold poached egg and a bacon portion obviously cooked for breakfast and stored for dinner. And I was the only person in the restaurant for the entire meal. Big mistake to waste a meal there.
Concierge was capable and helpful including writing several destinations on taxi cards.
Perhaps the piece de resistance was the drunk gentleman throwing up all over the lobby in to a WA waste basket. Now, I certainly can't fault the hotel for having a drunk visitor. What I couldn't figure out was, with so many staff on the floor and so many cameras and in such a visible location, why am I pointing out this sick fellow to the hotel? I suggested someone may be in need of medical assistance and the response I got was "he's drunk."
So while the view is spectacular and the rooms certainly passable by a luxury standard and the staff helpful and accommodating, there were too many "off" things.
But here's some tips if you find yourself there:
LAUNDRY
Laundry Express :. Shanghai Green Dry Cleaning and Laundry Delivery Service is a GREAT service that will pick up your laundry and drop it off for cheap. I had a 20 hour turnaround and everything was packaged perfectly. They're not good at responding to e-mails, so place an order online and ask the concierge to confirm it the day before.
BAR
There are so many great bars on the Bund, but I urge you try Captain Bar around the corner. It's located on the top floor of a hostel and I won't tell you anything else other than prepare to be wowed when you turn the corner. Really one of Shanghai's best bars.
overall hotel score: 8/10
Aug 21, 2018, 11:55 am
#173
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
I have a reservation for later in Oct. at this property. I recently received a Reward Certificate for 1 free night. I called 800-4HONORS and an agent was able to include this, however what they did was to make a new reservation which showed me as double booked for 1 of the nights. I called back a while later and the agent understood that I didn't want to show up at the hotel and there would be confusion on the bookings, I wanted to straighten this out before arriving and not being able to communicate what this was all about. The agent placed me on a long hold and when they returned they explained that because the property was sold out for that time it may be risky to cancel or modify this reservation. (really? aren't you IN the system?). The agent canceled my Reward reservation and gave it back to me. I still have my original reservation, using points and money.
Since I made the original reservation I have collected a few more points. I was hoping to use those points towards the stay to avoid paying cash for the difference.
I've just now emailed the hotel directly asking if there was anything they could do to help. We're staying at several Hilton properties while on this trip and I suppose I could (try to) use the Reward certificate at another property. This WA in Shanghai is the most expensive using points or cash.
Suggestions?
Since I made the original reservation I have collected a few more points. I was hoping to use those points towards the stay to avoid paying cash for the difference.
I've just now emailed the hotel directly asking if there was anything they could do to help. We're staying at several Hilton properties while on this trip and I suppose I could (try to) use the Reward certificate at another property. This WA in Shanghai is the most expensive using points or cash.
Suggestions?
Aug 22, 2018, 6:31 pm
#174
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Atlanta
Programs: HH-Diamond, IHG-Plat, DL-DM, PnF Plat, Kroger +
Posts: 514
I also have a reservation here 2nd weekend in Sept for one night using a certificate. It took a while after calling HH but the agent got it done. I wanted to stay near the main action.
I will try Captain Bar. I'm making a list of palces to visit while my 24 hr stay in the city.
I will try Captain Bar. I'm making a list of palces to visit while my 24 hr stay in the city.
Aug 22, 2018, 8:40 pm
#175
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,652
I also have a reservation here 2nd weekend in Sept for one night using a certificate. It took a while after calling HH but the agent got it done. I wanted to stay near the main action.
I will try Captain Bar. I'm making a list of palces to visit while my 24 hr stay in the city.
I will try Captain Bar. I'm making a list of palces to visit while my 24 hr stay in the city.
Aug 23, 2018, 9:44 am
#176
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
I also have a reservation here 2nd weekend in Sept for one night using a certificate. It took a while after calling HH but the agent got it done. I wanted to stay near the main action.
I will try Captain Bar. I'm making a list of palces to visit while my 24 hr stay in the city.
I will try Captain Bar. I'm making a list of palces to visit while my 24 hr stay in the city.
Sep 14, 2018, 6:21 pm
#177
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 689
On my stay here this week I booked a Deluxe room, which was the cheapest at booking, and on check in had been upgraded (Dia status) to a suite, but declined it for a river room with a view. If it wasn't my first time in Shanghai and wanted to enjoy the nighttime view, I would have gone for the heritage suite in a heartbeat as that is right up my alley with an old world hotel charm. It might be only for Diamonds, but there (currently) is 15% off food and drink, so happy hour drinks in the Long bar ended up being reasonable (ie. cancelling out the service charge) considering it is a flagship bar in a 5 star hotel..
The internet blocking was more rigidly enforced in the hotel over that of the DT Shanghai hotel (due to the service provider), which was a pita, when messaging/attachments, basic google hosted content worked at the DT without using a VPN.
FYI a taxi fair to the Maglev station should about 40-50RMB, and cost me 42RMB for the trip after the morning rush hour, taking in the bridge with the spiral approach ramp which is some very cool road engineering! Using the Metro to the hotel is perfectly doable, but if you have any more than a case (and even then), walking to the hotel hard work with narrow footpaths - yes I did it, thinking I'll be active rather than take the lazy/easy option, but didn't repeat it when leaving the hotel!
The internet blocking was more rigidly enforced in the hotel over that of the DT Shanghai hotel (due to the service provider), which was a pita, when messaging/attachments, basic google hosted content worked at the DT without using a VPN.
FYI a taxi fair to the Maglev station should about 40-50RMB, and cost me 42RMB for the trip after the morning rush hour, taking in the bridge with the spiral approach ramp which is some very cool road engineering! Using the Metro to the hotel is perfectly doable, but if you have any more than a case (and even then), walking to the hotel hard work with narrow footpaths - yes I did it, thinking I'll be active rather than take the lazy/easy option, but didn't repeat it when leaving the hotel!
Sep 15, 2018, 5:47 pm
#178
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,040
FYI a taxi fair to the Maglev station should about 40-50RMB, and cost me 42RMB for the trip after the morning rush hour, taking in the bridge with the spiral approach ramp which is some very cool road engineering! Using the Metro to the hotel is perfectly doable, but if you have any more than a case (and even then), walking to the hotel hard work with narrow footpaths - yes I did it, thinking I'll be active rather than take the lazy/easy option, but didn't repeat it when leaving the hotel!
