Greg Fleming stays at the Sofitel Hyland, in Shanghai
Location: This is the real plus with this hotel. It’s right on the pedestrian shopping East Nanjing Rd, which is 5km of high-end shops — one of the world’s premier shopping districts. It’s also a few minutes’ walk to the subway station. Subway is definitely the best and cheapest way to get around Shanghai, as all lines are colour-coded and the stops are in English as well as Mandarin. But beware, it gets really busy. Cabs here are hit and miss — there’s no Uber, only a Chinese Uber-like Didi service.
Getting there: About an hour’s drive from Pudong airport.
Check-in experience: Okay, but do make sure you notify your bank that your credit card will be used in China. The hotel takes a $100 deposit per night and you give them your passport as they need to notify the police you’ve checked in. Got a free welcome drink voucher to use at the bar.
I arrived early so had a few hours to kill before my room was ready — I was directed to the seventh floor spa where I could freshen up. This proved a little challenging as it took a while for someone to arrive who understood English. Got there in the end. Price: Around $200 a night. Wi-Fi was free and seemed to bypass the infamous Great China Firewall without a VPN. Four bottles of water complimentary each night — you can’t drink the Shanghai water out of the tap — but if you need more, ring housekeeping and they’re at your door within minutes. If your Mandarin’s a little rusty download Pleco, a translation app — the hotel receptionist and concierge can speak English but few others can.
Room: I was in 2106 on the 21st floor. The decor is a little dated, and TV is small and has seen better days — it showed CNN Asia and a few English channels. Air conditioning was loud and very cold — I had to call to get it adjusted. Bed was quite hard but I actually grew to like it. Universal plugs so no need to bring a special adaptor. The room, and indeed the whole hotel, was very clean — like the city itself.
Bathroom: Great, with a nice bathtub and shower — has obviously been renovated recently. L’Occitane toiletries.
Amenities: Gym, Japanese restaurant and the Sofitel restaurant off the lobby, where we breakfasted. A good buffet, a mix of Chinese and Western food — and some very good pastries. The layout is a bit confusing as stations are in three parts of the dining room. But get outside and explore the alleys off East Nanjing Rd — amazing Chinese food where ever you look and again — very cheap.
Verdict: Great location, pretty average room and not really up to the usual Sofitel standards, but offered a great view out along East Nanjing Rd and staff were great.