I must begin this review by confessing that when I originally made reservations at this hotel, I was extremely skeptical that it was not centrally located and that it would be a dump. After all, I was quoted a rate of $27.18 nightly (and that included all taxes/fees). I was not expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised. I was right that it is not centrally located BUT inasmuch as the subway station is a mere two blocks away, the subway acts as the great equalizer because you are literally minutes away (via the subway) from all of the places tourist want to be. More on that later but for now, allow me to talk about the hotel.
First, if you are the type of traveler that needs all of the bells and whistles of a luxury hotel then this is not the place for you. If however, you are the type of traveler who simply requires clean, safe and budget accommodations well then this is the place for you.
The Staff: I would assume that if you speak Chinese they are extremely helpful but if not, they are as helpful—principally because of the language barrier. The staff’s inability to speak English (or my inability to speak Chinese) was not a deal breaker for me because I simply got on the internet or on the subway and went to a high-priced hotel and asked its staff what I wanted to know.
The Rate: When I made my reservation on super8.com, I was quoted a rate of $27.80 nightly ($139.00 for 5 nights). To my pleasant surprise I was charged $26.64 nightly or $133.20 for 5 nights. The rate was just right for what the hotel offered. According to the sign at the front desk, room rates range from 168 Yuan ($21.52) to 308 Yuan ($39.45).
The Internet Service: At super8.com, they advertise free high-speed internet. My experience was yes it was free but nowhere close to being high-speed. In fact, dial-up service in the USA is far faster than the hotel’s so-called high-speed internet. Also, if you want to access the internet, you must have your on laptop.
The Room: The room was exceptional clean and it was just the right size for 1 person. It may be a little small for 2 people. The bed was somewhat hard but I slept like a baby. While on the subject of the bed, I am 5’ 10” tall. When the crown of my head was touching the headboard, my feet were not dangling at the end of the mattress. However, if I moved down slightly, my feet did dangle. So be aware you tall people (if you was less than 5’ 10”, you have nothing to worry about). The TV is 19” with only Chinese channels. There are no American based channels--not even CNN. The air conditioner/heater is somewhat high-tech because it is operated exclusively with a remote control. The 1 drawback with the remote is that all of the buttons are in Chinese. Nevertheless, if you let the staff know that you are too hot or cold, they will gladly adjust it for you. I did not have an opportunity to check the coldness of the air conditioner because I was there in the winter but the heater is a fire breathing dragon. There is a free water cooler in the room. It came in handy since you cannot drink the water from the facet. The desk and lamp came in handy as well as this was a working vacation. If you have a laptop, you can use the adopter that is available at the front desk for a deposit of 50 Yuan ($6.40) or you can go to the corner store (Lawson) and buy an adopter for 26 Yuan ($3.33) (and it is your to kept). By the way, I initially checked-out the adopter from available at the front desk (so I had to leave a 50 Yuan deposit). Later a purchased one and I returned the hotel’s adopter and my 50 Yuan was return without me having to ask for it. The walls are (for lack of a better word) “paper-thin”. You can hear everything that is going on in your neighbor’s room and presumably they can hear what is happening in yours. I recommend that you look at the photos of the hotel and rooms on super8.com. I believe that the photographs are an accurate reflection of the reality. What’s with having to leave a 100 Yuan ($12.80) deposit for the room? Yes the key (in the size and shape of a credit card) has a computer chip built into it but I have never left a deposit for a room key (and China is the 35th country that I have visited so you can image how many places I have stayed). But like with the adopter, once I turned in the key, I received my 100 Yuan.
The Area Surrounding the Hotel: This is not a tourist area. In fact, the 5 days that I was at the hotel, I did not see another person that could even remotely pass as a tourist. Accordingly, there are no American style restaurants in this area of town. Once again, I must emphasis that a short subway ride away, there are an ample number of tourist places. The surrounding neighbor is most quite, clean and safe. One great thing about the hotel not being in a tourist area is that you are not constantly being bothered by people who are trying to sell you something.
Overall Impression of the Hotel: For a little on $26.00 nightly, it is an outstanding value. When I come to Shanghai again, I will most definitely stay at this hotel. If you are the type of traveler that simply need a clean, comfortable room and you don not need all of the perks of a luxury hotel well then this is place for you.
How to Get to the Hotel from the Subway: I am unable to tell you how much it costs to get to the hotel from the subway because the entire time that I was in Shanghai, I rode the subways. The hotel is located at the Dailan Road station on line 4 (the purple line). At the Dailan Road station there are several exists that lead you to the street. Take the Changyang Rd. exit after arriving at the Dailan Road station. At the top of the escalator make a 90° turn to the right and you should see the Shanghai Integrated ECM Hospital slightly to your right in the near distance and the famed Shanghai TV Tower slightly to your left in the far distance. Descend the stairs and keep walking straight—across the street. Now on the other side of the street (the subway exit will be behind you), make a 90° turn to the right and walk to the other end of the block. At this point you should see a Lawson convenient store. Lawson and the Super 8 are on the same block. Walk past Lawson and the Super 8 is approximately 200 yards ahead. It is really simple to get there.
AI Summary
