My husband and I stayed here because this was the venue for a conference that we attended. We had no problems with the ambiance of our big, clean, quiet room. It had a large comfortable bed, a nice alcove working area, good storage, a TV with one English channel, a safe and bathrobes. The bathroom offered a tub and a separate shower, which was attached to the wall with no enclosure. A wall of huge windows looked out at high-rises, which became incredibly colorful at night with light shows, and the top of delightful Xujiahui Park. As we had an Eastern exposure, however, we needed to keep the heavy drapes closed in the morning. If we had stayed here for only one night, I think I would have given the hotel a higher rating.
But we stayed for five nights, and the unreliability of the room's WiFi became frustrating. When it did work, the system was incredibly slow. This is the only hotel in China, where I have encountered such terrible Internet service. Our interactions with staff went poorly because of their lack of English comprehension. Most employees rarely smiled and seemed irritated when we tried to communicate. They usually could not answer questions and often became downright rude. Housekeeping did an excellent job, but on their terms. They barged in, even with a "do not disturb" sign on the door, following their schedule. They became visibly annoyed, scowling and raising voices, if guests did not exit immediately,
Our room rate included three daily buffets, but I ate lunch outside the hotel. Breakfast and dinner featured Western and Chinese dishes that were often greasy. The food got cold quickly and generally was not replenished. So, for example, if we didn't arrive when the dining room opened at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast, it was not unusual to find empty serving dishes. This buffet routinely ran out of coffee cups and staff never brought more. I resorted to using a cereal bowl on two mornings for coffee. Glasses also disappeared quickly, but staff brought paper cups as a substitute.
Shopping malls, restaurants, a Starbucks and the Xujiahui metro station are close-by. It takes about half an hour by metro and then a 10-minute walk to reach the Bund.
Though our room was lovely, I did not think that this hotel, in general, met expected international standards for serving a clientele from around the world.