SH
 

Mrt SH City Centre is cat 5, & its just off Nanjing road, only 15 minute walk to bund . great EL.

Thank you! Seems a beautiful hotel and nice to be able to walk to bund

The JW Marriott at Tomorrow Sq. is a Cat. 5. It becomes a cat. 6 as of midnight tonight. We are using our cert. there next Jan. and have already booked. If you want to use it there. You should call Marriott to book it before midnight EST tonight.

Shanghai - City Center or JW?
 

Last time I stayed in City Center Marriott and I really liked it, but back than it was a brand new hotel, I was with my plat husband and upgraded to a gorgeous brand new suite, and the concierge lounge was temporarily in the atrium on the ground floor (beautiful and very convenient).

I never stayed in a Shanghai JW, but from the pictures it looks more dated. (But I don't know, maybe they renovated). I've been to a JW spa for 4 handed massage (spa is beautiful and expensive).

I wonder, if you stayed in both, which one is better? Which one has a better fitness center?

I'm also looking at the new Parkview, with logic being that brand new hotels tend to be nicer, even if they are of a lower category. But in case I spend 2-3 weekends in Shanghai this July, what would be a better choice?

Just by pictures I would assume that Parkview is nicer, than City Center, than JW.
But looking at the price and category it is of course JW, than City Center, than Parkview.
Are there any hidden gems I'm overlooking? (Some days will be booked with points, some with certificates.)

You're overlooking the fact that its location is terrible (and I'm by no means a fan of people's square).

Eta: I just realized that your stays are in July. Based on the fact that July tends to be extremely hot, you should at least consider the Portman (in spite of the fact that it is 20 years old) because the the outdoor portion of the pool and surrounding lawn area is an optimal place to beat the heat.

How is location terrible? It is one subway stop away from People's Square on line 1.
Not sure I want to drop 40K points a night for RC. Especially when I have 3 1-5 certificates to use up.

I don't know if it is relevant information for choosing a hotel... but I've been to Shanghai many times, I have studied for one semester in China a while ago, so I can comfortably get around and speak Chinese on a basic level.

1) Do you think living near the train station is nice?
2) Why is being one subway stop away from Peoples Square desirable?
3) I didn't realize that the Portman required more points than these other properties, so this is a good argument

What are your thoughts on Zhongshan Park?

posted last fall
 

I don't think I'd call the JW dated (though it's certainly older), but it is a different decor... more "classic" than "modern". I actually liked the CY Puxi room style better than the JW, but the JW was still very nice (great public spaces, big soaking tub in the bathroom, lots of windows offering great views when the pollution isn't too thick).

Just spent 2 nights at renaissance yu garden and had a very nice stay. I liked the location, could walk to Yu gardens, Bund and there was a local neighborhood around the corner for a more traditional older area. I really like to walk to sights if I can and this was perfect for me

I am gold and was upgraded to a spacious suite with huge windows overlooking the skyline on river. Used the very nice lounge for a good breakfast, snacks and wine for dinner was fine for me, looking out at the great neon signs and lights on Yu Garden
All the personnel were very pleasant and helpful

1) I mostly use subways to get around Shanghai. It is nice to come out of the subway after a long day of walking and almost be home. And, except for the first weekend that I'll be flying in, I'll be coming by train from Nanjing, so again, very convenient to get People's Square by subway.

Being at the 1 and 2 line stop is very convenient. Maybe I was also influenced by the fact that I normally stay in that area and am very familiar with it, so there is that feeling of comfort. But I guess I should branch out and stay in a different area.

Zhongshan Park sounds like an interesting idea. I like the part where it is attached to the mall and I can easily spend one day just wandering the mall. It is fun to look for unique Asian brands that no one back home is wearing. Too many times I get asked "That's beautiful, where did you buy it?" and reply "Shanghai". The only drawback is that the hotel is not as luxurious as the other alternatives. I know that even basic Marriotts are so much nicer in Asia than back home, but still... cat. 2?

CY Puxi was definitely the nicest category 1 I've ever stayed in. But I did not like the location. It was convenient when I missed my train and had to find a place to stay, but there is nothing around but hotels, and too much walking in 100 degree heat to get to anything.

I'm not sure why you're so fixated on "luxury" because apart from the RC Pudong, I don't think a single Marriott property in Shanghai comes close to being "luxurious". But, I will say again that the Zhabei property is in a really crappy neighborhood... it could be a Peninsula for I care, but that would not change the fact that it's location is pi$$ poor.

With regard to category ratings, my understanding is that those are largely driven by ADR or some similar metric (i.e. there is a direct correlation between category and straight up financials).

By Zhabei property you mean Parkview? Can you tell me what makes that neighborhood bad? You don't mean dangerous, I'm sure. And it seems close to the center, right next to the park, and subway is nearby...

Even in the area immediately around the train station, I wouldn't say Zhabei is dangerous. It's just that it is completely devoid of the type of charm that is often associated with Shanghai, and dining/entertainment options are abysmal.

While I support your subway approach, I like to stay in hotels that are in pleasant neighborhoods themselves, especially when the price difference is not substantial.