AlwaysSunnyInORD

I had a recent stay here and really enjoyed the property. They were kind enough to provide me with a Bund View Suite on a DSU. The views, as others have stated, were fantastic. I found the room to be very quiet and relaxing. The interior design was simple and clean (I like that).

Some posters have said they aren't big on the location but I found it enjoyable. I have no issues walking to the subway and (as noted in previous posts) cabs are cheap.

The staff was not over the top attentive but I am the type of visitor who does not need to be checked up on often. I found them very friendly and willing to help if I had any questions or concerns. The English skills of the staff was much better than I anticipated. As a side note, I was surprised how easy it was to get around Shanghai without any Chinese.

If/When I return to Shanghai, I will have no hesitation coming back to the Park Hyatt.

Gabrca

This really has impacted my ability to use the DSU at this hotel. Always seems to be Bund View suite, but rarely the Park Suite. Any chance they'll allow it if I email the hotel directly?

indo79

Just completed a 3 night stay at the PH Shanghai. This time paid for 2 rooms using my corporate rate, no ID was asked at check in.

1 room was a Park Suite and the other was a regular room. Being a Diamond, was surprised that none of the rooms faced the Bund, not that it mattered since it was so cloudy/rainy all 3 nights that we could not even see the Jin Mao Tower across the street from the lobby. I tried to use a DSU for the 2nd room but was denied since only Bund View Suite was available.

Arrived from PVG at 9.15am and the suite was ready at 10am, while the regular room was ready at 12pm. Hotel was very crowded and I believed they did their best to give us the rooms asap.
Breakfast was not extended to the 2nd room and while the stay was fine, there were 2 nagging issues.

1. During our 2nd breakfast, the restaurant was barely half full, and yet our tea and coffee took 10 and 20 mins respectively to arrive, and also no menu for omelette orders were given nor asked. Realizing that it was 7.30am and peak breakfast hours, but it seemed they were either way understaffed or not trained to handle so many people at once, considering it was barely half full.

2. Also on that day, before we left the hotel to tour Shanghai, I always leave a tip on the bed for the housekeeping, imagine to my surprise when I returned back at 2pm to find that the coffee cups near the coffee machine were folded down, meaning they were changed, but when I turned it over, it was dirty, 2 of them.

Other than those 2 issues, could not complain, especially for the rate that I paid, but the hotel does seem busy now and service was affected.

Red259

Spent two nights at this property. Room was solid and loved the rain shower. The weather in Shanghai was lousy the entire time I was there so the view (which was outstanding) was non-existent most of the time. I didn't really care for the design of the hallways as I was constantly walking the wrong way when trying to find my room. I like to take the metro. Its like a ten minute walk to get there which when it is raining is annoying and I ended up taking more cabs than I desired. I really prefer public transportation and riding with the local population/walking the streets etc. I didn't really enjoy shanghai (too many con artists/scammers more than other places in China at least for me), but other than the property being too far from the subway I thought it was very nice. I saw where the grand hyatt on the bund was located and that isn't exactly on the bund either, it is kind of a ways off so I'm not sure if going with another property would have yielded a better result. Like I said I was quite happy with the room itself and you can't control the weather. Concierge was alright. Not brilliant but answered most my questions. Didn't use the pool but it looked very nice. Gym was good. One annoying point the hotel card they give to show taxi drivers which location you wish to go to had print that was too small. I tried to go to the bund and the taxi driver took me to xintiandi because his eyesight was bad and the two names were directly next to each other. Unfortunately, having never been to the bund I didn't realize what happened until after I got out of the cab and he left and I was wondering where the water was! A larger print card would have easily avoided this.

moondog

The easiest way to get from ljz to the bund is via the bund sightseeing tunnel (overpriced, but efficient).

I don't think Shanghai is all that great myself, but it's really not fair to judge it unless you stay in the city.

The scammers tend to stick to places that are to be avoided (e.g. yuyyan, e. Nj Rd, dongdong mingzhu).

Red259

I don't feel I am being unfair to the city given that I traveled all over it. I was a tourist and visiting the tourist areas where these scammers obviously frequent (as is the case with any major city). In comparison to other cities in china where I also visited tourist areas the scams were more frequent in Shanghai, at least in my experience, and I was approached at multiple locations throughout the city. Obviously this isn't a review of the entire city I am merely pointing out I didn't enjoy visiting it as much as other cities in China and being that I was a tourist in those cities as well I feel it is fair to compare cities this way. If I was looking for somewhere to live the criteria would be quite different and not based on tourist areas.

I saw a sign for the bund sightseeing tunnel, but I did not know what it was at the time. Looking back at it I'd rather stick with a cab or metro.

cmglobal

Off topic here, but Shanghai doesn't strike me as a very good tourist city. I've lived in a small town in Zhejiang province for 10 years, so Shanghai with its selection of decent western foods is a treat for me, but I can't think of much else that would attract me. There are other cities with much more history and culture to see.

moondog

I agree that Shanghai is not a good tourist city, but like I suggested three posts back, anyone who stays in lujiazui (or even xintiandi) and spends their time going to hellish tourist traps isn't getting an accurate representation. Jingan and xuhui are quite nice.
Eta: There are four places I like in ljz:
1. Flair at the rc (arguably the chillest bar in town; go when it's not cold or rainy)
2. Shanghai aquarium
3. Suntory (my favorite Japanese restaurant)
4. Binjiang huayuan (less crowded than the bund, and directly across the river)

benji2227

I am finishing a 9 night stay here, 2 nights in Deluxe and 7 last in King Suite with DSU.
The suite is superb and spacious with comfy sofas, B&O stereo set including control and audio in the bathroom, huge desk and two toilets.

Diamond amenity is a joke, a simple tarte, but the bowl of fruit they replenish every day is decent.

Breakfast is good but most of the staff I found pretty unfriendly and hardly spoke any english.

Concierge service wasn't spectacular, hard to communicate.

Best service I found was at the pool/gym. The super-friendly staff there do absolutely everything for you and keep the aeria absolutely gorgeously tidy. Highly recommended.

Last night was a bit weired, because of the typhoon I felt the building moving a bit, gave me a bit of a sea-sickness feeling. And the elevators were put on slow-mode so took ages to go from 1st to 87th floor. But thats a rare and un-controlled event

Aventine

Busan misses you benji! Mr. Dalancon, the PH Shanghai GM is a very nice guy. Did you happen to meet him this trip?

Insomnia4u

Had a recent 2 nights stay in a suite with points upgrade. Got Bund Suite, LOVED the view, and maybe the most stylish and spacious suite I´ve stayed in. Almost 4 meters height added to the feel, and I like the minimalism and true rain shower. Have to say that the hard product IMHO are better than PH Tokyo. Of course they can not match the soft product in any way.

I agree with a lot of the previous posts, breakfast spread really good, but only a couple of the staff spoke english, and they did not refill the water at the self-service, so both mornings I had to ask them twice to get water. It´s those little things...

Checked out the swimming pool, almost no one there. Beautiful and quiet with daybeds to relax by the window. Don´t really get why the water was so cold, usually pools are a bit more heated. They do offer free Tai Chi at 8am each morning, with original clothes offered. Did not get any info other than a poster at the gym.

Concierge helped with ordering tickets to shows.

Had one night at the GH Shanghai, and altho the hotel are older and rooms more weary, wow what a difference in costumer service. I really felt welcomed, even before they knew I was a Diamond. And the Club manager was really attentative at check-in. Now, if only PH would use the same ones to train the staff...

benji2227

I agree about the staff, stayed at Hyatt on the Bund and PH Shanghai and was astonished to feel more welcomed at HOTB than PH. Amazing hard product at the PH (and a real rain shower!!!) but service is a problem.

FlyingOutTLV

Since this thread was brought upfront, I have a question regarding the Hyatt properties in Shanghai...

Which is best for NYE if one would want to watch the fireworks from his room?
(assuming Diamond status with enough points and DSUs)

It seems the 'battle' is between the PH and Hyatt on the Bund. Is the PH the big winner in terms of view because of it's hight? Do the base-level suites (DSU) offer a much better view than the rooms usually given to Diamonds? Would you consider the Andaz for NYE?

Thanks!

benji2227

Keep in mind that PH shanghai suites are not all Bund view... I got a suite there without that specific view even though it was still mind blowing.

Gabrca

Given the tragic stampede from last New Year's Eve (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Shanghai_stampede) I very much doubt there will be any fireworks display at all this year.

That being said, I know in past years PH Shanghai has thrown their own NYE party, but it's not included in the room rate. If memory serves me correct, it was over $100USD, but was free-flow.

Best,

Gabrca