ChocolateFactory

How much better is the Edition than the St. Regis? At the St. Regis I would probably get a suite - at the Edition a slightly bigger room at most?

callmedtop

I found the room design of the StR suite I received to be very frustrating. Small details, like the shower door opening on the opposite side as the towel holder, that add up to make it a very annoying stay. Agreed with the other poster that language skills are very poor as well.

Fly Me To The Moon

I have stayed at the EDITION twice, and both times upgraded to a Suite as a Titanium. The Suites are great! As previous poster said, the Dining (and Bar!) options here are also a plus.

The only downside for me is the crowds on the streets at night. A bit too crowded for me, especially when I like to take a walk outside the hotel, but do not want to navigate around sooooo many people.

moondog

The lack of crowds is the main reason I still prefer the Portman to properties on nj East Road. Meanwhile, the westin and St Regis both suffer from inconvenient locations. Sure you will get better room pretty much anywhere else, but the Portman wins on location.

ChocolateFactory

Maybe I'll just have to splurge on the EDITION, try out a new brand.
The RC Pudong looks VERY nice as well, though...
I have a morning flight the next day, should I choose/avoid any specific location for that reason?

lost_in_translation

To be honest almost all of the 5 star Marriott hotels in Shanghai can have a case made for them at the right price, the average standard is extremely high! It depends on what they're each pricing at and also what your personal tastes are to a huge extent. As a millennial, the blend of modern design, great service and great food on offer at the EDITION and W is what I'm looking for, both are serious contenders for the best hotel in their brand globally. Both involve a slight compromise in terms of upgrades as the suites at both are very popular so an upgrade is more difficult than many other Shanghai hotels but not impossible. The RC Pudong is very nice but is starting to date a tiny bit, it's definitely in a completely different class to the The Portman but if the EDITION is the same price or cheaper I'd choose that, personally. The RC Pudong is in a slightly isolated location unless you have business in Pudong or want to visit one of the skyscrapers there, on the other hand it's a relatively good location for driving to PVG if that's where you flight departs from.

In terms of what is a good location for a flight, i) are you planning to get a car or public transport to the airport and ii) is your flight from PVG or SHA as the answer will be very different depending what your plans are.

ChocolateFactory

Ok, sounds like the EDITION is the way to go.
My flights arrive at and depart from PVG. I still have one or two Maglev tickets to use up from my last trip. My flight departs at 09:35 AM, so not super early...

lost_in_translation

The RC Pudong used to (and hopefully still has?) a caviar tasting party in the lounge every Friday evening which is very cool, so if your stay includes a Friday and you'd be likely to pay for the Club that could be a factor

I had a flight to HKG around that time from PVG last time I stayed at the EDITION, given it was a weekend the drive was surprisingly quick, getting the Maglev would probably take longer but timing more predictable on a week day.

ChocolateFactory

I'll arrive on a Tuesday, fly out on a Wednesday.
I'm also Hyatt Globalist, so I could also stay at the Park Hyatt... But then again, a Marriott stay would trigger a 15k points bonus...

lost_in_translation

I haven't stayed at the Park Hyatt so probably not best placed to advise (my secondary chains are IHG/Hilton), but I've visited and I'd say stay at the EDITION and then if you're desperate to see the Park Hyatt go there for a drink to take in the view. From people I know who have stayed at the Park Hyatt I think the EDITION will have better service, is a better location and is also newer/in better condition if you care about that (which I do). The Park Hyatt you might be more likely to get a suite as a Glob but too many other compromises to get that.

ChocolateFactory

I've been to the PH twice for drinks and my first visit really made me want to get Globalist status. My second visit, however, was abysmal. We were not served and sent off into a back room with other Westerners. Only Chinese people were allowed at the nice tables.
What I find intriguing about the PH nonetheless is that it's such a high building. I recently stayed at the PH Tokyo and I just love staying on a high floor...
That said, the EDITION does look spectacular. I think I'll go for it because of the 15k bonus.

CPH-Flyer

The RC Pudong is an amazing property. It is kind of a must to have a club level booking, club level is fantastic. I had a a lot of fun once with the club level manager as he was teasing a staff member for not remembering my name.

moondog

For those you who okay with small rooms, the Portman is a winner. If I'm not mistaken, John Portman also brought us the Westin, and one of the Hyatts, but the Portman SL (now RC) will always be regarded as his flagship project in Shanghai. While location preferences have evolved during the course of the past 25 years, Shanghai Centre still remains the "bomb" (i.e. far cooler than anywhere in Pudong, and also better than NJ Dong Lu). Flair at the RC Pudong is my favorite bar in Shanghai, but I wouldn't dream of staying at the hotel because it is in Pudong. Basically, if you are cool with your small room at the Portman (i.e. the odds of being upgraded to Obama's room are slim to none), you will be happy. Apart from the awesome restaurants in the area, I'm somewhat afraid to mention Manhattan/Judy's; many of my clients love these places.

lost_in_translation

It's not just the size of the room, it's everything about it! The decor is that horrible 90s beige and mahogany look that so many hotels in China seem to imagine is 'high end', the shower / bathroom were ancient with poor water pressure and not befitting a 5 star hotel in the 21st century, the room was missing basic business items like an iron (I ended up hanging my shirt in the shower as I was so pressed for time in the morning I didn't have a choice), the service I also found mediocre. The public areas are beautiful and the location is good, beyond that it felt to me it should be a Westin / Hyatt, not a Ritz-Carlton which makes sense given what you've posted above! The idea this hotel is to the same brand standard as e.g. the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong is laughable.

I think I left a review in the general Shanghai Marriott hotel thread for my only stay but suffice to say I haven't and won't got back when there are so many great hotels in Shanghai.

CPH-Flyer

A good location in Shanghai greatly depends on what you are doing, and where. If the offices sre in Pudong, why not stay in Pudong? Our offices are in Pudong and XTD, a Pudong location makes zero sense for the latter but is great for the former.