Any updates on the whether the fee and/or service charge is still charged if you use your Marriott points in Shanghai?
I will have an incoming award stay in Shanghai soon, but if JW Shanghai still charges $46 for award fees, I will still avoid it

You could email them direct and ask. I've used this address in the past:

[email protected]

This is a very cool hotel to stay at -- it's photo was just on the front page of the Wall St. Journal (the hotel was illegally built with borrowed pension funds. I wasn't surprised to learn this -- the first thing I wondered about upon arriving at the hotel was how they raised the zillions of dollars needed to build this palace!). So paying the $46 would be annoying. But it still might be worth it, depending on what other deal you could get elsewhere.

$46 fee is way too much.
The hotel offers some travel agents about < US$60 each night during the holiday season such as Christmas and New Years, then those travel agents are selling about $80 each night

Well, if you can get a room there for $80, you shouldn't redeem an award to stay there.

That said, I think for most times, the price of a room at this hotel will be much, much higher. I know it was when I was planning my own stay last year.

I stayed at this hotel on a 5 day award stay over the New Year... Great hotel.. great gym, great conceirge lounge, breakfast etc. The rooms are great!! very modern.. They upgraded me, which is not automatic for being platinum... I was worried if they were going to charge the 45$ cus i did read that they have ... They Charged me NOTHING!!! its in great area, close to a ton of things.. Go for it!! a 5star category 4...

Not all competing chains give a free room for free! For example, Triprewards best rate guarantee can get you a free room. However, some of their locations in US and Canada do charge a tax, while others don't.

seems the policy changed
 

I stayed in JW Shanghai on 12/18/06 for one night. I called the hotel before I arrived there, they told me that they wont charge anything for a award stay. when I checked out, there was only 25 cents for the local calls i made.

I also book the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong on 12/31/06-1/2/07. they charged 250 HKD for the first night, and I was told form 1/1/2007, there is no more service charge for reward stay.

That is true

All Marriott/Renaissance in HK and China have stopped such services charge now, that is positive

JW Marriott Shanghai Reports
 

Any Platinum elete have experience booking a senior 62+ room (Quality) and getting any kind of an upgrade?

Mrs Hazmike & I were in that property last fall, using points. Mrs Hazmike left Beijing before I did to do our recon. We had the hotel pick her up & when she got there a rep was waiting for her, schlepped her bags past the registration desk on the 38th floor & put her in a suite on the 50th floor.

The C Lounge is open weekends & is the bomb...great food & free adult beverages.

So, yes, we got the upgrade to a suite & were using points!! Unless something is crowding the hotel on the nights you're in town you may get the big room too.

PS Tiger Woods was staying at the JW that weekend for the HSBC Open. I know because I hung out with the NetJet pilots that flew him over there.

Sweet.

Their rate is high nomally between US$250-300 per night, but their standard award availability is quite open all year long as a cat 5 hotel, if you are able to get a Marriott cert such as 7 nights stay for Cat 5 etc, that will hugely reduce your expense, suites upgrade is frequent available upon asking, lounge is open till midnight 7 days a week, 60th Floor's small Library claimed to be the highest library over the world also opens for platium and gold

Marriott-family hotels in Shanghai
 

Can anyone tell me about the Renaissance Shanghai Pudong? I am going to Shanghai at the end of November. This is the most convenient Marriott property to where I need to be. How is the location, amenities, etc.? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Nice enough hotel. Not a great location for sight-seeing. Snotty staff.

Nice enough but far away comparable from JW Marriott Shanghai

Tomorrow Square, Shanghai - Marriott Executive Apartments - Comments?
 

I'm taking my wife, nanny and 11 month-old daughter to Shanghai for a few nights later this month for a friend's wedding. We were looking for a comfortable suite with a separate bedroom and living room, where we could have a rollaway bed for the nanny and a cot for our baby. Originally we had decided upon the Diplomatic Suite at the Grand Hyatt, which was at a price of around US$1,000 for the 1,180 square feet room. It was a bit more than we had wanted to pay, but we were getting similar quotes from other comparable properties like Le Royal Méridien Shanghai and the Westin, and the Grand Hyatt has a much better view.

However, I was checking around the Internet and came across the Marriott Executive Apartments at Tomorrow Square in Puxi, Shanghai. They had, to me, an unbelievable deal for a 2 bedroom, 1,367 square feet executive apartment at US$337. The photos of the room look great, and it shares the same building as the JW Marriott which includes two pools, many restaurants, health club, and a great location in Shanghai.

So I'm wondering if anyone has stayed there and what your thoughts are, and also if there is a "catch" to this seemingly great deal. For comparison's sake, a similarly priced room at the JW Marriot Hotel during the dates we are there would be a 409 square feet Executive Level room, which of course has Club Access, but is considerably smaller.

In anycase, if anyone can offer their comments, it would be greatly appreciated.