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AJLondon
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Join Date: Jan 2004
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Shanghai: East or West, hotel questions, & airport choices
I'm going to be visiting Shanghai (first time) for 3-4 days in March. So
-Which is the better part to stay in Shanghai: East or West. From a first-time tourist perspective. I want to be close (ideally walking distance) to the major sightseeing/shopping areas.
My main hotel programs are SPG(Plat) and IC (Royal Amb). So the obvious hotel choices appear to be:
- Westin (US 210)
- St Regis (US 275)
- Intercontinental (US 220)
From what I can tell from a map, the Westin appears to be in the west (no pun intended ) in the HuangPu? area. Is this the area where all the touristy sightseeing/shopping stuff is... And is it walkable from the Westin.
Other hotels I think that are quite close to this area (Nanjing Road? ) are:
-Sofitel Hyland Hotel (US 130)
-Four Seasons Hotel (US 230)
-Hilton Hotel (US 180)
Any suggestions or recommendations among these and how they would compare to the Westin both in terms of service and location...
Is it worth it to stay 2 nights in the Huangpu area and another 2 in the Pudong area?
- Also I'll be flying in to Shanghai from Beijing on Air China. So I have an option to fly into either SHA or PVG. Any particular preference? (I'll be leaving the mainland from PVG). How much would a cab cost from the airport to the hotel. And what about the cost of pre-arranged hotel transport.
Also any tips for shopping areas would be much appreciated, although I'm sure I'll regret asking about this on my return
Thanks a ton,
cheers
AJ
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Chapel Hill Guy
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Chapel Hill, NC - UA Nobody (sigh)/0.925MM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 3,510
Originally Posted by AJLondon
I'm going to be visiting Shanghai (first time) for 3-4 days in March. So
-Which is the better part to stay in Shanghai: East or West. From a first-time tourist perspective. I want to be close (ideally walking distance) to the major sightseeing/shopping areas.
My main hotel programs are SPG(Plat) and IC (Royal Amb). So the obvious hotel choices appear to be:
- Westin (US 210)
- St Regis (US 275)
- Intercontinental (US 220)
From what I can tell from a map, the Westin appears to be in the west (no pun intended ) in the HuangPu? area. Is this the area where all the touristy sightseeing/shopping stuff is... And is it walkable from the Westin.
Other hotels I think that are quite close to this area (Nanjing Road? ) are:
-Sofitel Hyland Hotel (US 130)
-Four Seasons Hotel (US 230)
-Hilton Hotel (US 180)
Any suggestions or recommendations among these and how they would compare to the Westin both in terms of service and location...
Is it worth it to stay 2 nights in the Huangpu area and another 2 in the Pudong area?
- Also I'll be flying in to Shanghai from Beijing on Air China. So I have an option to fly into either SHA or PVG. Any particular preference? (I'll be leaving the mainland from PVG). How much would a cab cost from the airport to the hotel. And what about the cost of pre-arranged hotel transport.
Also any tips for shopping areas would be much appreciated, although I'm sure I'll regret asking about this on my return
Thanks a ton,
cheers
AJ
Just returned a couple of weeks ago on my first trip. For tourist stuff, stay in the West (Puxi), not Pudong. We flew into PVG and stayed at the Hilton, which is showing its age a bit but still OK. Sichuan restaurant there is excellent. Cab cost maybe $15 or so. SHA is closer to Hilton, so would cost less. I wouldn't bother staying in Pudong, but that's just me. Bund, French Concession, Old Town, etc. are all in Puxi.
FYI, and I may get flamed for this, but I have very mixed feelings about Shangahi. There's really not that much to see, the pollution is terrible, and the shopping isn't that great (unless you want to shop at, e.g., Lacoste or The Gap, that you can find in any big city). Shopping in Old Town was mostly junky tourist stuff. Went to the clothing market in the French Concession and the touts there are worse than Kowloon in HKG. Copy watch? DVDs? Purses?
Go to the Club Jin Mao in the Grand Hyatt in Pudong for dinner and the view. 86th floor. Ask for a window table.
Sure Shanghai is big, but my 16-year-old said it reminded him of Pittsburgh and in a lot of ways I agree (and my son speaks a bit of Mandarin). It's gritty that way and I think requires an insider to reveal its charms. Lots of lights at night with a great skyline, but I much prefer HKG and BKK. Just IMHO.
Have fun!
Last edited by Chapel Hill Guy; Jan 16, 2005 at 8:19 pm
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Chapel Hill Guy
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Chapel Hill, NC - UA Nobody (sigh)/0.925MM, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 3,510
Originally Posted by miizzles
Puxi is, by definition, in the west.
Yes, I am directionally challenged. OP edited.
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NorthOrSouth
Join Date: Sep 2004
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1. Which is the better part to stay in Shanghai: East or West.
We stayed in Pudong (Shangri La) and while it's close to some tourist attractions, it felt a bit out of the way. For location I think I'd go for the Westin. There are some really good restaurants walkable from there. Otherwise your idea of 2 nights in one and then 2 nights in another is a good one.
2. Where to fly into?
I'd fly into PVG. ALthough it's further from the city it's more westernised. Flying into SHA first time in China will be more of a culture shock. Not sure of the cost from PVG though as we flew out of there but took the Maglev for the experience (not much quicker than the cab though as you have to take a cab to where it starts).
3. Also any tips for shopping areas would be much appreciated.
The French Concession is the best shopping area though if you're going to buy Western products (eg. fashion) they won't really be cheaper.
(Sorry for the quick post as I'm actually heading to the airport this morning! Hope it helps.)
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moondog
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,861
Originally Posted by AJLondon
Also any tips for shopping areas would be much appreciated, although I'm sure I'll regret asking about this on my return
xiangyang (襄阳) is the local fake market and is very popular with tourists. personally, i prefer the boutiques to the north on shanxi road (a little more expensive, but less crowded and higher quality). if you're looking for antiques, there is an antique district near the bund, and another on hongmei road in gubei (the latter specializes in furniture). ime shanghai's antique prices are much higher than other places in china (beijing, guangzhou, qingdao)
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AJLondon
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Firstly, thanks a heap for the advice everyone. ^ ^ It is much appreciated.
So based on the above, I shall stay in the Puxi area. According to my guidebook the the main pedestrianized shopping/sight-seeing area is the Nanjing Dong Lu ??. So based on this the Puxi area hotel shortlist is
-Westin at US210 (incl exec club benefits due to Plat)
-Sofitel Hyland at US130 (incl bf)
-Four Seasons at US230 (incl bf)
-Portman Ritz Carlton at US260(with bf) OR US300(with full club level)
Now does anyone have any experiences in these properties...
Am I correct in assuming that all of the above are within 20 minutes walk of this (Nanjing Dong Lu) area?
And is the Sofitel really as good as the Westin? (both classified by expedia as 4*) Any experiences with this property? I've never stayed at an Accor Hotel. It does seem to have the best location as well as a remarkably low rate.
Any recommendations out of the four, given the different rates...
cheers
AJ
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moondog
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,861
Originally Posted by AJLondon
Firstly, thanks a heap for the advice everyone. ^ ^ It is much appreciated.
So based on the above, I shall stay in the Puxi area. According to my guidebook the the main pedestrianized shopping/sight-seeing area is the Nanjing Dong Lu ??. So based on this the Puxi area hotel shortlist is
-Westin at US210 (incl exec club benefits due to Plat)
-Sofitel Hyland at US130 (incl bf)
-Four Seasons at US230 (incl bf)
-Portman Ritz Carlton at US260(with bf) OR US300(with full club level)
Now does anyone have any experiences in these properties...
Am I correct in assuming that all of the above are within 20 minutes walk of this (Nanjing Dong Lu) area?
And is the Sofitel really as good as the Westin? (both classified by expedia as 4*) Any experiences with this property? I've never stayed at an Accor Hotel. It does seem to have the best location as well as a remarkably low rate.
Any recommendations out of the four, given the different rates...
cheers
AJ
my thoughts:
-the sofitel is a dump (significantly worse than the other properties mentioned)
-nanjing road pedestrian street is making a revival, but still isn't all that
-you should be able to get into the portman for MUCH less than that because it is out of vogue. i know one company that has a corporate rate in the low 100s
-why isn't the jw marriott on your list?
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mosburger
Join Date: Oct 2004
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While Shanghai is replacing HK as the city for making money and shopping you might consider heading out to Suzhou and/or Nanjing for more relaxed surroundings. Especially Suzhou is enchanting although the economic boom cannot be overlooked there either. And fewer stressed expats to run into than in boomtown Shanghai.
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AJLondon
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Originally Posted by moondog
my thoughts:
-the sofitel is a dump (significantly worse than the other properties mentioned)
Thank You! Much appreciated. ^
Originally Posted by moondog
-why isn't the jw marriott on your list?
because it wasn't mentioned in my guide book (Frommer's China).
I have checked out the web rates and the lowest one is US250 (room only).
Originally Posted by moondog
-you should be able to get into the portman for MUCH less than that because it is out of vogue. i know one company that has a corporate rate in the low 100s
That would be a good deal. Is a similar rate available online anywhere?
cheers
AJ
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moondog
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,861
i just emailed a friend about the portman for you. i will let you know when he replies.
no, you'll never find rates like that online, but you can occasionally negotiate your way into the same ballpark if bookings are light and the manager is feeling generous.
i think you should be able to get the jw marriott for closer to 150. it probably wasn't in your guidebook because it is one of the newest hotels in shanghai.
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AJLondon
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Thanks moondog. :-: :-: :-: Greatly appreciate your help!
If you are free one evening when I am in Shanghai, then drinks are on me!
Maybe even at the R-C Club if I'm lucky.
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KosraeTV
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Current Micronesian, Ex Buckeye....
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Originally Posted by moondog
-the sofitel is a dump (significantly worse than the other properties mentioned)
I'll second this, I had a terrible experience at sofitel. While I normally stay in Pudong I did have a good stay at the Westin. However there are many very good hotels in SH. I would have to say that internet rates are always extremely high and have always received better rates there in person or having a local make the arrangements.
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KosraeTV
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Current Micronesian, Ex Buckeye....
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Originally Posted by mosburger
you might consider heading out to Suzhou and/or Nanjing for more relaxed surroundings. Especially Suzhou is enchanting although the economic boom cannot be overlooked there either. And fewer stressed expats to run into than in boomtown Shanghai.
Excellent Suggestion ^ SH is getting expensive (for PRC's standards) IMO. Suzhou was an excellent get away for me.
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