Shanghai's hotel industry has been put into a fast-developing mode over the previous 30 years.
From the early stage, the city saw its first foreign capital invested 5-star hotel - the Jing'an Hilton Hotel in 1988 which first set globally acknowledged standards to Shanghai's luxury hotel industry, to nowadays the city possesses over 70 glittering and fancy 5-star hotels, countless 4-star hotels, as well as innumerable boutique hotels, the blossom of Shanghai's hotel industry embodies the precipitously growing market of China's tourism and exhibition industry.
On the other hand, the competition between international giants and local corporations not only drives the rise of the industry's average standards, but also benefits the consumer groups with the opportunity of enjoying a variety of foremost staying experience, there are boutique hotels hidden in the tranquil former French Concession, luxury modern hotels spreading in bustling spots like Jing'an Temple, Xintiandi, and Lujiazui, resorts nestled at the foot of Sheshan Forest Park, as well as amusement themed accommodations inside the Shanghai Disney Resort.
In addition, a bunch of new risen service apartments is complementing the market with customized features that are in favor of long-term-staying residents and business travelers.
Luxury brands
Starting with the luxury hotels, we share some of the prominent hotel samples with those who happen to search for the relevant recommendations. If you have any other different opinions or thoughts, you are welcome to leave your words in Comments.
Mandarin Oriental Pudong 浦东东方文华酒店
Although the Mandarin boasts some super views of the Huangpu River, the north Bund and the jaw-dropping skyscrapers of Pudong, it does feel removed from the main tourist attraction. Nearby attractions are limited to the astonishing 127-storey Shanghai Tower (a must visit) and a couple of shopping malls. In the lobby, a show-stopping wall of colored glass, rings of geometric chandeliers and the clip-clopping of red soles on marble. Museum quality works of Chinese art are scattered across the hotel and while the atmosphere exudes exclusivity, the smooth staff ensure everyone feels as if they belong.
A seductive 25-metre indoor swimming pool, a sprawling tech-savvy gym, a comprehensive business centre and luxurious Club Lounge – at an additional RMB485 per room a worthwhile splurge for the lavish all day drinking and dining it includes.
Room rates at Mandarin Oriental Pudong start from RMB 2,500.
Address: No.111 South Pudong Road, by Binjiang Avenue, Pudong New District (021-2082 9888)
地址：浦东新区浦东南路111号, 近滨江大道
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong 浦东丽思卡尔顿酒店
Experience a nostalgic moment in a modern city at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong, a hotel that seamlessly enfolds its Art Deco heritage into a brilliant contemporary design. Located on the upper floors of a stylish 58-floor tower in Lujiazui, in the very heart of Shanghai’s commercial, financial and upscale retail center, this luxury hotel's stunning views of the Bund and Oriental Pearl Tower is just one of the memorable experiences guests will take away from Shanghai. This award-winning hotel offers a luxury experience like no other, featuring breathtaking views, 285 Art Deco-inspired guest rooms and suites, elegant wedding venues and China's highest rooftop bar on 58th floor that serves Asian tapas and seafood.
Room rates at the Ritz-Carlton, Pudong start from RMB 2,600.
Address: Shanghai IFC, No.8 Century Avenue, By Lujiazui Ring Road, Pudong New District (021-2020 1888)
地址：浦东新区陆家嘴世纪大道8号国金中心, 近陆家嘴环路
The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong
Park Hyatt Shanghai 上海柏悦酒店
Presenting striking architecture and interior design, awe-inspiring views, exceptional accommodations, exquisite culinary offerings and world-class artwork — all complemented by exceptional service — Park Hyatt Shanghai is the ideal home away from home for connoisseurs of sophisticated living.
Occupying the 79th through 93rd floors of the Shanghai World Financial Center in the heart of the Lujiazui financial district, it soars above the metropolis where guests get to take in sweeping views of the city skyline and Huangpu River from any of its 174 luxury rooms and suites or enjoy a choice of some well-known Shanghai restaurants, such as 100 Century Avenue Restaurant featuring Western, Japanese and Chinese cuisines, and Dining Room, popular for its European specialties. Park Hyatt Shanghai is also home to the renowned Water's Edge Spa and is an ideal venue for meetings and weddings.
Room rates at Park Hyatt Shanghai start from RMB 2,260.
Address: No.100 Century Avenue, by Lujiazui Ring Road, Pudong New District (021-6888 1234)
地址：浦东新区世纪大道100号, 近陆家嘴环路
Park Hyatt Shanghai
Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai 静安香格里拉大酒店
The charm of Shanghai is accentuated in the city’s upscale Jing An district, where glamorous malls and skyscrapers stand alongside quaint shops and lane houses. Jing An Shangri-La, West Shanghai is central to the 450,000 square-metre Jing An Kerry Centre, which integrates prime hotel, retail, office and residential space overlooking a beautifully landscaped piazza. Shangri-La provides a respite from the city. After an easy check-in, you consider your options for dinner - Cafe Liang for all-day dining or an international buffet, TSURU Japanese Restaurant for traditional Japanese Kaiseki cuisine, Summer Palace for authentic Cantonese cuisine, 1515 WEST Chophouse & Bar for one of the best steaks in Shanghai, or modern Mediterranean dining at Calypso Restaurant & Bar.
The 30th to 59th floors of the Jing An Kerry Centre accommodate 508 guest rooms with room rates start from RMB1,488.
Address: No.1218 Middle Yan'an Road, Jing An Kerry Centre, by Changde Road (021-2203 8888)
地址：延安中路1218号南京西路静安嘉里中心, 近常德路
Jing'an Shangri-La, West Shanghai
The PuLi Hotel & Spa 璞麗酒店
As Shanghai’s first luxury urban resort, The PuLi Hotel and Spa is centrally located in modern Jing’an district adjacent to the multi-use development Park Place. With 193 rooms and 36 suites, The PuLi offers 24-hour butler service, in-room dining, concierge, laundry and valet services, and a world-class restaurant. The Health Club has a superbly equipped state of the art gymnasium, sauna, steam room, experiential showers, jacuzzi pool, 25-meter lap infinity pool as well as the first Anantara Spa in Shanghai. Using a range of ancient therapies from China, Thailand and India, the Anantara Spa on the 3rd floor presents you with the very best way of relaxation this century has to offer.
Room rates at The Puli Hotel & Spa start from RMB1,600.
Address: No.1 Changde Road, by West Nanjing Road (021-3203 9999)
地址：常德路1号, 近南京西路
The PuLi Hotel & Spa
The Portman Ritz-Calton, Shanghai 波特曼丽思卡尔顿酒店
Award-winning Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai is one of the most breathtaking five-star luxury hotels in this cosmopolitan city. Located in the upscale Nanjing Road retail, dining and entertainment complex that enthralls guests with contemporary surroundings, unparalleled service and spacious accommodations, you will discover dining that encompasses both regional and international flavors and that their well-being needs are met by an extensive health club with a swimming pool and squash courts.
610 well-appointed guest rooms and suites feature contemporary Chinese in-room décor, furnishings and artwork with room rates starting from RMB1,400
Address: No.1376 West Nanjing Road, Shanghai Center, by Tongren Road (021-6279 8888)
地址：南京西路1376号上海商城, 近铜仁路
The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai
The Langham Shanghai, Xintiandi 新天地朗廷酒店
Located at the gateway to the “Champs Elysees of the East”, The Langham Shanghai, Xintiandi enjoys an unbeatable location in the heart of Shanghai where old meets new. Blending traditional Chinese elements with chic contemporary style, 357 guest rooms and suites in the hotel envelop travelers in extreme spacious comfort. Each room is elegantly appointed with indulgent furnishings and signature amenities, all of which feature stunning views of dynamic Shanghai framed by large floor-to-ceiling windows. For those who are seeking an exceptional Chinese menu, Michelin three-star restaurant - T’ang Court offers a mix of traditional favorites and remarkable contemporary dishes - a restaurant worth a special journey for sure. Whether you fancy a healthy stay at 24-hour fitness studio or enjoying a few relaxing laps at 25-meter heated indoor pool, you get to pamper yourself after busy days in the heart of hustle and hassle.
Room rates at The Langham Shanghai, Xintiandi start from RMB 2,250.
Address: No.99 Madang Road, by Middle Huaihai Road (021-2330 2233)
地址：马当路99号, 近淮海中路
The Langham Shanghai, Xintiandi
Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, Pudong 浦东四季酒店
The 41st-floor swimming pool at Four Seasons Pudong, surrounded by views of Shanghai’s skyscraper-saturated financial district, is perhaps worth the visit alone. Arguably the hotel's highlight with infinite edges wrapped by tall glass walls, it showcases a breathtaking panorama of glassy mega-structures. Set back from the riverside but occupies a reasonably convenient position behind a trio of super-skyscrapers, the hotel offers a spectacular vista of the eclectic architecture crowding the waterfront. Shanghai’s most recognizable landmarks - Oriental Pearl Tower, SWFC, Jinmao Tower and Shanghai Tower that features the world’s tallest observation deck, are right next door.
Families can opt for interconnecting rooms and an additional bed/cot is complimentary for under-18s. A children’s menu is available at Camelia restaurant.
Room rates at Four Seasons Pudong start from RMB 2,000.
Address: No.210 Century Avenue, by Lujiazui Ring Road, Pudong New District (021-2016 8888)
地址：浦东新区世纪大道210号, 近陆家嘴环路
Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai, Pudong
Hyatt on the Bund 上海外滩茂悦大酒店
To maximize its prime location on the western banks of the Huangpu River, the cutting-edge hotel has been angled so that most of the rooms benefit from a spectacular view of either the historical architecture down The Bund or modern skyscraper-lined Pudong across the river. With convenient access to Shanghai's airports and to Shanghai International Convention Centre via Xinjian Road Tunnel within 10 minutes, it's merely a five-minute walk to the International Cruise Terminal subway station on Line 12. A member of the Grand Hyatt portfolio, Hyatt on the Bund offers guests the experience with stylish restaurants, sophisticated comfort, and functional conference rooms equipped with advanced technological equipment.
Boasting a total of 620 guest rooms, including 48 suites, split between the East and West towers, these contemporary spaces feature floor-to-ceiling windows allow guests to best experience the breathtaking views of panoramic Pudong skyline.
Room rates at Hyatt on the Bund start from RMB 1,600.
Address: No.199 Huangpu Road, by Nanxun Road (021-6393 1234)
地址：黄浦路199号, 近南浔路
Hyatt on the Bund
Luxurious accommodations in heritage architecture
In the shadow of all Shanghai's hulking towers of glass and steel are the city's brick and mortar roots, and some of the best-preserved pieces of heritage architecture have been preserved as hotels.
The Fairmont Peace Hotel 费尔蒙和平饭店
There is no building more emblematic of the Bund than The Peace Hotel. Famed real estate tycoon Victor Sassoon opened the property in 1929 as the Cathay Hotel, and in Shanghai's heady heyday it was the fashionable place to stay. An impressive list of A-listers have graced its halls. Among them were Charlie Chaplin, George Bernard Shaw, and Noel Coward. In 1949 the New China was established. Seeing the writing on the wall, Sassoon fled. The government appropriated the hotel and renamed it The Peace Hotel. For decades it remained a landmark and often hosted foreign dignitaries and party cadres alike. However, much of its former splendor had been boarded up or re-purposed for offices. In 2007, the Fairmont group took over management duties and promptly shut it down for an intensive remodeling -- more like an excavation -- project. In 2010 the hotel re-opened, restored to its original splendor. The interior boasts a bright and beautiful atrium with exquisite tile mosaic floors and elegant art-deco flourishes at every corner.
The Fairmont Peace Hotel books 270 guest rooms and 39 suites. Room rates start around 2300rmb, depending on the season.
Address: No.20 East Nanjing Road, by East Zhongshan No.1 Road (021-6138 6888)
地址：南京东路20号，近中山东一路
Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund 上海外滩华尔道夫酒店
The Waldorf-Astoria's Shanghai property is relatively new as a hotel, but the building that houses it is a Shanghai icon. It began in 1910 as the Shanghai Club, a British social organization that admitted only wealthy white males. For a while the club was famous for being home to the longest bar in the world. It was a 34-meter-long plank of mahogany. Even this posh watering hole had hierarchy the prime seats closest to the windows were for the taipans, or business executives, and bank managers. Each step further down the bar was another rung lower on the social ladder. In 1941, the club was closed and occupied by the Japanese. Eventually, in 1949, it was acquired by the Chinese government. It underwent several incarnations thereafter, among them a club for international sailors, a state-owned hotel and it was even home to the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in Shanghai for a spell. Hilton Worldwide took over management of the property in 2010 and designated it a Waldorf-Astoria property. The heritage portion of the hotel remains stunning. They've restored the Long Bar, and it is one of the more atmospheric places to get a drink in town. The hotel also boasts a beautiful, fully functional antique Otis elevator.
Room prices in the Waldorf run quite a broad range. One of its 260 standard rooms in the new tower goes for CNY 2,000 to 4,000 per night. Suites in the heritage building will set you back anywhere between CNY 5,800 and 87,000 per night (all prices are tax excluded).
Address: No.88 Middle Sichuan Road, by Guangdong Road (021-6322 9988)
地址：四川中路88号，近广东路
The Peninsula Shanghai 上海半岛酒店
On a bend in the river at the heart of the city, the Peninsula has far-reaching views along Shanghai's famous Bund and across to Pudong's 21st-century skyline. Surprisingly, The Peninsula Shanghai is the only new building on the Bund during the past 60 years, but you'd never know just by looking at it. Architect David Beer's contemporary take on classic art deco blends this hotel seamlessly into the rest of the riverfront promenade. Following in the footsteps of the original property in Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai evokes a sense of early 20th-century glamor with everything from its palatial Lobby with art deco accents to its world-famous afternoon tea to its traditionally-dressed pageboys. Yet it embraces all of the comforts of contemporary living with a state-of-the-art health club and spa and a host of smart one-touch in-room technology. As if all of that weren't opulent enough, the hotel has a fleet of its own four signature Peninsula green Rolls-Royces and six BMW 7-series that, for a price, you can avail yourself of for transportation to and from the airport.
Room rates at The Peninsula start from RMB 2,150 and climb precipitously to RMB 145,000 for the lavish Peninsula Suite (all prices are tax excluded). Luxury doesn't come cheap.
Address: No.32 East Zhongshan No.1 Road, by East Beijing Road (021-2327 2888)
地址：中山东一路32号, 近北京东路
InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin 瑞金洲际酒店
The site is chock full of Shanghai history. It began as the residence of British horse and dog racing magnate Benjamin Morris. Chiang Kaishek proposed to his wife Soong Mei-ling here. Chen Yi, Shanghai's first mayor after the Communist Revolution, kept his office here. For decades, the property was also a state guesthouse used solely for visiting party cadres and foreign dignitaries. As such, it has been host to the likes of party leaders like Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Zhou Enlai, and the Chairman himself, Mao Zedong. Vietnamese revolutionary Ho Chi Minh has also stayed here as has former U.S. President Richard Nixon. The grounds themselves are gorgeous -- 100 acres of well-manicured lawns, trees, and a breathtaking water feature feel like an escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Two new buildings have been added to the property to house guest rooms, both are faithfully in keeping with colonial British style that dominates the architecture here. The InterContinental group came on board to manage the site in 2013.
Rooms in the Intercontinental Shanghai Ruijin start at around 1000rmb for a business room. Superior suites go for 2688rmb.
Address: No.118 Ruijin Er Road, by Middle Fuxing Road (021-6472 5222)
地址：瑞金二路118号，近复兴中路
InterContinental Shanghai Ruijin 瑞金洲际酒店
