Summary: If you're an out-of-towner/foreigner looking for a reality check, this is the place.
If you're here on vacation, with a budget set aside, and hoping for a hotel with great views and a touch of luxury, then seriously, find another hotel. This one will leave you feeling like your money was completely wasted, and you'll probably conclude something along the lines of, 'So this is what it's like to be rich... it's not all that great.'
PS (Even if you're wealthy, you won't feel particularly honored or special here.)
If budget isn't a concern for you anymore, and quality defines your everyday life, then still, pick another hotel. Spending more here won't buy you a sense of prestige or luxury. Whether it's about quality, prestige, or views, there are far too many better options available now.
PS (But if you're trying to impress a lady, or you're here with a date, then ignore everything I just said. The scenery and the spending will keep the hormones flowing, and it won't diminish her opinion of you. PS+ To avoid angry comments: Rich ladies bringing younger handsome guys, same applies, your spending power will be well-maintained here.)
Check-in Review:
From the room rate to a tiny bottle of water, the prices here are within the daily acceptance range for high-spenders, not excessive.
But! This is the only place in Shanghai where I've spent a significant amount and felt absolutely no sense of status or belonging that usually comes with high-end experiences. Those who understand, you know what I mean.
Here are some minor issues I can understand and accept: The hotel is old, so the hallways don't have air conditioning. At least from my check-in to check-out, the 50th-floor hallway had no cool air whatsoever (if the AC was broken and under repair, then disregard this comment as overly critical). The showerhead in the room can't just be called 'old-fashioned'; it's simply old, and depending on your room, you might get a 'surprise' of random grime. Of course, the room decor also feels dated. These are all minor issues that I can still accept and understand.
PS: Although the hotel is old, and some details are hard to change quickly due to the passage of time, they have upgraded some facilities. For instance, the hairdryer is modern (ladies who are particular about hairdryers can rest assured, it's definitely not one of those old-school ones), and the toilet has been upgraded to a smart toilet.
For those of you who haven't stayed here yet, let me walk you through the full hotel experience:
First: (Staff)
The staff's enthusiasm varies from person to person. For example, the operator I called was very polite, the in-hotel dining staff who delivered food were also good, and the turndown service aunties were nice.
However, the enthusiasm of the staff on the 1st and 52nd floors is very inconsistent. Some staff are genuinely friendly, greeting you proactively, while others will scrutinize you before deciding whether to greet you, or simply turn away as if they didn't see you (PS: A minority, though). The hotel's basic training is generally in order.
But I want to specifically mention the front desk. I've seen many negative reviews also pointing out the front desk, and it's true here – it really depends on whether you're lucky enough to encounter someone who makes you feel the prestigious environment of this place. I should clarify that the front desk staff's tone of voice is fine; they speak softly and give basic greetings. However, you just feel that something isn't quite right, especially when they confirm the amount with you during check-in and ask for a deposit again. If she hadn't mentioned the amount, I would have thought I was staying in an 800-ish range hotel.
PS (By the way, everyone, be clear: Trip.com charges a guarantee deposit. No matter how much your room rate was, you still have to pay at the hotel. My room rate was 5244, and I paid another 7000 room fee + deposit at the front desk. Tourists with a planned budget don't need to worry too much; the Trip.com guarantee deposit will be refunded after check-in.)
Second: (Hotel Sections and Dining)
First, when you check in on the 52nd floor, you'll see a restaurant on your left. But if you ask the front desk if it's for afternoon tea or a la carte dining, you won't be able to hear her softly mumbled explanation at all. I just gave up on asking.
After getting your room key, someone will escort you to your room and explain things (I'm not sure if this applies to basic room types).
My first impression upon entering the room was how small it was. I'd seen so many blogger photos before checking in, and I immediately thought 'photo fraud.' Their photos made the rooms look much larger. Perhaps it's an issue of different room layouts (of course, I didn't ask to change rooms; maybe they would have if I asked, but I thought if I insisted on everything to my liking, I wouldn't get a true sense of the hotel's actual standard, and that would make the stay too annoying. I didn't want to ruin my mood, so I tried to avoid pushing boundaries or pressuring the hotel).
Let's talk about the view, which everyone cares about. This definitely gets a good review. Because the floors are high, the view won't be bad. The Bund and Pearl Tower room types overlook the river and the Pearl Tower. The city view rooms probably look towards the 'three-piece set' (Lujiazui skyscrapers). Of course, there will also be rooms with just a city view.
PS (My room, 5027, had a slightly off-center view. You couldn't see the entire Pearl Tower unless you were right next to the window. I didn't get the direct Pearl Tower view that many bloggers feature.)
Okay, now I have to talk about the room's Minibar. This really stung. In all the hotels I usually stay at, the Minibar is either free or includes complimentary drinks. I truly didn't expect the Minibar to be charged. (This is certainly my fault; I didn't pay attention. But it's also worth noting that the staff member who escorted me to the room didn't mention it either.)
When I got my deposit back, I was quite confused. They refunded me 8 yuan and some cents. So I called the hotel (I must mention again, the lady at the main switchboard was very polite, and she followed up on sending me the itemized bill). After being transferred to the front desk, they told me the Minibar total was 1370.95 yuan. I was a bit bewildered, wondering what I could have possibly consumed to reach that price. The front desk informed me it was because I had opened the bottle of champagne in the Minibar, which cost over a thousand yuan. Honestly, that champagne was only slightly better than beer; you can take a look yourselves when you check in. (I didn't pay attention to the brand of champagne, I thought it was complimentary at the time. If it was a famous brand, then consider my comment biased.)
PS (Bro, remember this: no matter how luxurious the hotels you usually stay at are, no matter how many complimentary welcome drinks or free minibars you've enjoyed, when you stay here, remember there are no welcome drinks, and the Minibar is charged. Regardless of the price, being stung like that is quite a shock.)
Let's talk about one of the hotel's advertised features: the rooftop bar. Honestly, I don't have much to say about it. The view and photo opportunities are amazing, you can find pictures online. I arrived around 5 or 6 PM, and the outdoor terrace area was completely reserved, as was the main lounge. The reception staff saw that we were hotel guests and managed to squeeze us in at a table, which was a nice gesture of problem-solving. But if you're a tourist, be prepared to spend generously here. The reserved tables on the terrace all come with packages costing over two thousand yuan, and there's also a package over one thousand yuan – I think it was 2800 and 1800, I've forgotten the exact prices. They reserve tables for you based on the package you choose.
PS (A cup of hot water costs 88 yuan. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you? Those on a budget should consider this carefully, because if the package isn't enough, you'll have to order à la carte.) Indeed, many negative reviews mention that the prices for drinks in the room and all food and beverages are quite high. I can accept that, but the prices mentioned in the negative reviews are accurate, so you can mentally prepare. After all, you can always order takeout, right?
I won't comment on the breakfast taste because I didn't eat it. Not because I woke up late; from the moment I checked in, I kept hearing that breakfast ends at 11 AM, and my confirmation on Trip.com also stated 11 AM. But can you believe it? I arrived at 10:30 AM wanting some congee, only to be told that breakfast was no longer served. I recall a staff member saying it ends at 10 AM. If my memory of the time is incorrect, please let me know. The hotel arranges breakfast times by season, which I truly cannot understand. I really cannot understand it.
PS (If you change the time, could you please update the staff's script and the platform display? Do you expect first-time guests to dream about it?)
Regarding the in-hotel dining department, my overall experience was good. I wanted something sweet, so I ordered food. However, since I had takeout coming for a main dish, I didn't order much from the hotel – just a caramel pudding and a beef burger. The pudding was exactly how I like it, and the burger was excellent. After all, in hotels with a high occupancy rate of foreigners, burgers are usually quite good (and yes, the bloggers weren't exaggerating, most guests here are indeed foreigners). Regardless of how much you order, the food is delivered to your room with a dining cart and left there. There are food warmers, so it doesn't get cold. This dining cart expanded my eating space; relying solely on the room's desk for multiple takeout orders really isn't feasible. After finishing the meal, a call to the dining department would have someone come and clear the table. Overall, it was a good experience.
I won't comment on afternoon tea as I didn't go. You can check other reviews for opinions on that.
Third: (Post-Departure Experience)
The deposit refund was genuinely slow. Every other hotel front desk tells me the deposit will be refunded within 48 hours, and I usually get it back before I even leave the parking lot. This is the only place where it truly took two full days to refund. I even had to call to ask if there was an issue with the refund, and they said no, it would be back within 48 hours. I didn't think much of it, but they truly adhered to the 'on time' policy.
I left some clothes in the room's wardrobe. The evening of the next day, I called, and the main switchboard lady, after checking with housekeeping, confirmed there was indeed a piece of clothing in the room. If they found it, wouldn't they proactively contact me? Is the personal information left in the room just for show? This was something forgotten in the wardrobe. What if I wasn't sure where I'd left it? Would the hotel just throw it away? Is this the standard luxury hotel check-out service procedure?
Three days after checking out, after clarifying the bill and deposit amount with the hotel, I asked them to issue an invoice. The main switchboard lady emailed me an invoice template to fill out and send back, so the hotel front desk could issue the invoice. After I emailed the template back to the hotel, let me just say this: the front desk staff didn't even need to be meticulous; if they had just taken three seconds to glance over and check, they wouldn't have sent me what they did. Not a single Chinese character, number, or letter was correct. I was truly baffled. Why make me fill out a template if they're just going to randomly issue it? They might as well just write whatever comes to mind. This is the standard of post-departure service at the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong.
PS (This was the final straw. I usually don't bother with reviews; if an experience is bad, I just don't go back. But this stay was genuinely bad in every single aspect.)
Conclusion: My feeling about this hotel after checking out is that it's purely overpriced due to the view, and they treat guests as one-time business. This place doesn't set its prices based on luxurious experiences and service; if you're someone who is used to high spending, coming here will make you feel like you've gone bankrupt. You'll experience a significant drop in quality. You won't get the excellent service and sense of prestige you usually experience, nor will you get the quality environment you might expect. PS (Of course, rich ladies and young wealthy men bringing dates here don't care about these details; their goals are different, so this might not apply to them.)
If you're a tourist, remember: if you're increasing your budget to experience this place, and you're hoping for luxurious hotel service or the daily environment of wealthy people, I highly recommend choosing another hotel. Believe me, there are many hotels, even cheaper ones, where you'll experience proper service, hotel standards, and even better clientele. But here, you won't. Of course, if you're only here for the view, then you might still choose it, but based on the room type I stayed in, there are hotels with lower prices that offer equally stunning views.
(After all, they don't lack foreign guests and have high foot traffic, so they probably don't care about individual customers.)
From service, room decor, room facilities, Minibar, bar, breakfast, departure, and the entire flow of the experience, you won't find an equivalent hotel standard here. I'll reiterate: my feeling is that this place is overpriced due to its view and location – all show, no substance.
This is an honest account of my experience. If any of these issues were due to specific circumstances during my stay, I welcome the hotel to respond. That way, those checking in at other times can use the hotel's response as a benchmark. Of course, I hope the hotel continues to improve, and if you don't experience similar issues during your stay, it will prove that they've optimized their standards.
Original TextTranslation provided by AI
