The Hotel I stayed at Conrad Shanghai during my trip to Shanghai last month as it is located at one of the most touristy districts of Shanghai at East Nanjing Road. The property is a striking 66-story landmark rising above East Nanjing Road, right in the heart of People’s Square. It is a prime location, given that it took me just about 15-20 minutes walk at a leisure pace to the Bund.  

The nearest metro station is People’s Square Station (Lines 1, 2, and 8), just 250 meters away (about 4 minutes on foot). Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) Is about 14.3 km by road, approx. 12–20 minutes by taxi while Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is about 42 km by road, approx. 40–60 minutes by taxi depending on traffic. You can also choose to take the metro to both airports from the hotel. 

The hotel’s lobby is located on level 11, and it was unfortunate that my room wasn’t ready at 1.30pm despite being a Hilton Honours Diamond holder. 

The Room It is a big property with 728 rooms and 60 suites. I stayed at the King Executive Room (an upgrade due to status) where I also had access to the 44th-floor Executive Lounge. Rooms and suites range from City View and Bund View options, where my room comes with a city view. 

The King Executive Room is spacious at 40 sq. m., where access to the Executive Lounge also means complimentary Breakfast/Snacks/Cocktails in Lounge. Upon entering the room is the open wardrobe space, followed by the minibar. 

The room comes with a king size bed and a spacious work desk as well, with good natural lighting in the day from the floor to ceiling windows. 

The bathroom is decked in marble, and it comes with a tub and standing shower, though a word of caution is that the marble flooring is also quite slippery. Byredo amenities are provided as well. 

The Facilities Located on level 44 is the Executive Lounge, a beautiful high ceiling space with a view of the city’s skyline and the iconic Pearl Tower.

I chose to have breakfast at the lounge where the spread is decent. There is a small selection of local delights and pastries, as well as a live station which dishes out eggs done your preferred style and rotating dishes like grilled salmon. 

I like that the whole lounge is basking in natural light in the morning where the gentle sun rays stream in. 

Unfortunately. I didn’t have time to check out the afternoon tea and evening cocktails during my stay. 

The main wellness facilities are located on level 10, where there is a Spa, and complimentary sauna and steam rooms in each gender’s changing rooms. 

There is also a heated indoor Pool, and reminder that swim caps are compulsory in the pools in China. 

The 24-hour Gym is big with a good mix of equipment for cardio or resistance trainings. I think it can afford to add a few more benches to the space for free weights training.  

The Restaurants There are a couple of dining concepts in Conrad Shanghai with Asador Mediterranean Dining & Bar that specializes in Mediterranean cuisine; Copper Bistro is a French-style bistro serving artisanal dishes complemented by its own craft beers. 

Lane 11 is an all-day dining experience with an open kitchen concept, offering a buffet and à la carte menus that fuse Eastern and Western flavors. This is also the restaurant where breakfast for guests is served. 

For an elevated experience, the MUSE Penthouse on the 65th floor offers fine dining paired with panoramic views of The Bund and Huangpu River. 

Rants I stayed at level 52, and it could take me 10-15 minutes to get down to ground level, given that it requires a change of lift. I also noted that the housekeeping staff was using the passenger lift (instead of the cargo or service lift?) which adds to the lift traffic. In addition, the small road which leads to the hotel driveway is a narrow road and it is busy most of the time. 

Overall Experience The best part of Conrad Shanghai for me is the location, since it is close to the shopping belt of East Nanjing Road and the Bund. That said, the street-level entrance is very busy and you need to factor in waiting time for car, or even to get back to your room with the crowded elevator situation. Service is hit and miss, with some passionate staff while most are fairly muted in service in general. 

Conrad Shanghai
789 Nanjing Road (East), Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 200040

For more information, check out Conrad Shanghai Website.

Ranted by The Ranter