Crowne Plaza Shanghai Noah Square by IHG

Breakfast was a letdown. The fake juice tasted awful, the fruit was tinned, the coffee wasn't great, and there wasn't even a tea option. The yoghurt was cheap and nasty, so we'd have been better off going to the supermarket. The lobby and bar were freezing, and even the poor staff wore coats over their uniforms. We were there for a week and it never changed. To be fair, maybe it's just not set up for Europeans. Skip the breakfast and bring your own tea. The room was honestly the nicest we've stayed in, and the facilities were perfect for our family. The room cleaner was great, and we found the metro easy to use. Everything else was really good.

The executive floor upgrade is why I still give this place five stars. The room was clean and comfortable, with cozy but sufficient lighting, though reception on some foreign TV channels was poor. I liked the well-equipped gym, but its heaviest dumbbell was only 50LBS. There are other cable machines if you need more weight. There are lots of restaurants nearby and at least three large malls, with a Starbucks right next door. Line 13 is about a three-minute walk away. Getting there from Pudong airport still took me two hours by subway because I had to transfer from line 2 to line 13. HongQiao is much closer, though it has fewer international flight options. If you aren't in a rush and don't mind trying local transit, the hotel is very good value. Double-check any taxi booking with the concierge the night before. They seemed to have forgotten mine, and I had an early flight the next day, so there was no room for a mix-up.

The room had plenty of space, good lighting, handy power outlets and a practical desk setup. The hotel was clean and had great amenities. The buffet did a very good job at both breakfast and dinner, and the gym was nicely arranged with good machines and free weights.

I stayed for ten days during my latest China trip for CIIE and another trade fair. As someone who spends around 100 nights a year at IHG Group hotels, this was a nice little find. The metro is conveniently close. My room was a bit dated, but comfortable and very clean, with excellent housekeeping. The bedding and pillows were lovely. Breakfast was very good and the service attentive, and the Club Lounge's evening food and drinks were great. A lovely stay, thank you to the team.