This was my first stay at Noa, and I’ve always believed that you shouldn't let reviews dictate your experience – you have to try it yourself. This weekend stay definitely proved me right again.
First, let's talk about soundproofing. Noa is actually one of the quietest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. I’m sensitive to noise and always sleep with earplugs, whether at home or in a hotel. When the AC was off at Noa, there was absolutely no sound. I went to bed early on Friday, and it was almost completely silent. On Saturday, I heard people chatting next door when I lay down in my room around midnight, but it stopped quickly and didn’t affect my rest at all. I slept incredibly well that night.
As for the environment, it’s the kind of place you just don't want to leave. The air conditioning was comfortable, the window view was beautiful, the shower was super enjoyable, and the bed felt first-class. Depending on what you’re planning in Shanghai, if you're like me and hate the heat and sun, preferring to stay indoors during the day, Noa would be an incredibly good value. However, if you're out and about all day and only return to your room to sleep at night, you might be missing out on the room's great environment.
I highly, highly recommend the coffee and craft beer at the ground floor restaurant – both are excellent. Personally, I think you can just stick to the hotel’s coffee and beer and don’t need to go elsewhere.
For breakfast, you can choose between a buffet or a set meal. The buffet selection isn't extensive, and the set meal portions are a bit small. Lunch is priced like a typical Western restaurant, and the dishes are delicious, though the portions for everything except the meat also seem a bit small. But if you don't want to go out during the day, eating at the hotel is great. You can even pack up leftovers to enjoy in your room, which is very convenient!
If you want to save money on dining and reduce your travel expenses, for breakfast, you can walk east along Wuding Road. Not far away is a small eatery called Rongxin Restaurant, which serves multi-grain pancakes in the morning and also does lunch. Continuing east from Rongxin Restaurant, at the intersection of Wuding Road and Jiangning Road, there are a few quite affordable places to eat lunch. There's also a Lianhua Supermarket at the crossroads, where you can buy most things you might need while traveling.
Another big advantage is that Noa is genuinely close to Shanghai Railway Station and also near a subway entrance, which greatly improves the travel experience.
Overall, the service was satisfactory.
My personal takeaway from staying here: the critical comments about Noa stem from the fact that it’s a meticulously designed hotel. Precisely because every aspect is so thoughtful, guests become more attuned to details and want to make their stay even more comfortable. But I don't think this is a bad thing; people only try to 'control' places that feel like home.
I had a comfortable stay at a certain brand hotel before, but with the weather getting warmer and outdoor activities less appealing during the day, I randomly chose Noa to upgrade my room environment. It felt perfectly suited to all my needs. I extended my room until 2 PM, then sat in the ground floor restaurant to read for a while, leaving around 4 or 5 PM. This perfectly connected with dinner time and the high-speed train back to Suzhou New District Station, making my journey from home to Wuding Road seamlessly smooth. Travel is all about finding the right hotel, having a good book and your favorite music – then a few days or a week can become incredibly interesting and create unforgettable memories.
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