Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Airport by IHG

The staff were warm, efficient, and attentive throughout, and the breakfast spread covered both local and international choices. It was more than I usually expect from a Holiday Inn. My room was spacious, new, clean, and well maintained, with a very comfortable bed. After long-haul travel, I especially appreciated the consistently strong shower pressure and temperature. It’s only a few steps from the terminal, with convenient access to both Terminals 1 and 2, so it works well for red-eye arrivals or early departures. In my opinion, a lot here is above the usual Holiday Inn standard. I’ll absolutely stay again next trip.

The modern hotel has a nice lobby bar and a pretty decent breakfast, and my bed was comfortable with good sheets and a duvet cover. The bathroom was nice, especially the excellent bum wash. My room had a strange wall splitting it up and a tiny window, so it felt cramped, though the rooms are otherwise nice. The hotel’s huge, but there’s only one bank of lifts, which means a lot of walking. I’d already done 900 steps just getting to breakfast. People were loud on their phones and staff didn’t step in. There are real service problems. Staff spoke very poor English, which isn’t acceptable for an international airport hotel. The glass door fridge never got cold. I left refreshments in it and came back three hours later to the same temperature. I asked the lobby for a big bucket of ice, went out again, and when I returned they hadn’t put the drinks in the ice, so I had to start over around 9pm. By 9am they were reasonably cold, but waiting 12 hours isn’t reasonable. Calling reception was difficult too, possibly a robot. Room service was another ordeal. The menu is extremely limited, with no burger, so I ordered a ham and cheese baguette. It showed up as a takeout delivery in plastic packaging instead of plated as pictured, and I refused it. Ordering required scanning a QR code, but nobody said it had to be through WeChat. Payment was difficult, and it turned out I had ordered it five times. The hotel is new and has potential, and I’d stay again, but I’d be better prepared. One good surprise: the Wi-Fi seemed to bypass China’s Great Firewall, so transit guests can still access everything.

Great value right at Shanghai Pudong airport, with excellent staff and a good workout room. There are dumbbells, a couple of cardio options, and a cable machine. The rooms have lots of space and modern touches like heated toilet seats, push-button curtains, and nice lighting. The breakfast buffet is huge and really nice.

The room had plenty of space and was furnished nicely. Breakfast was a good continental spread, and no powdered eggs. This feels like a fantastic new addition, maybe opened in late 2025, and it’s much nicer than the old hotel between Terminals 1 and 2. It takes about a 10-15 minute walk once you leave Arrivals.