Iforest Hostel (The Bund, Nanjing East Road Pedestrian Street)

I found this place through a TikTok recommendation and stayed for three nights. It lived up to it. The room was clean and roomy, housekeeping came every day, and they supplied water. There was enough space to lay out two large and two small suitcases. The shower and toilet are separate, though there’s no bidet. Getting around was easy: it’s near People Square MRT station, between east and west nanjing road. You can walk to the bund, and it’s a few stops from Lujiazu, Jing an temple & Yuyuan garden. There’s a direct train from the Railway station to Pudong International airport. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for good value.

The location really stands out. Step outside and you’re right in the heart of famous nanjing road, with a lovely view, malls, convenience stores and authentic eateries all around. It’s a 10-minute walk from the train station. Staff were friendly, the morning reception team could communicate well in English, and they cleaned well and topped up our water every day. Laundry was cheap and convenient, the aircon worked well, and the bed was comfortable. We used the airport shuttle for 210 yuan, which was very convenient for three people and four large suitcases. There were some hassles too. Night reception staff didn’t speak English, though they tried their best. The laundry only had two machines each, and I couldn’t get the vendo to work. There was a noticeable cigarette smell, though I guess that’s common in China overall. Lower floors could be noisy. With no curtain separating the shower and toilet, water spilled out, so we had to have the rug changed each time they cleaned. The Taobao delivery area was messy, with lots of packages left there, some dated weeks earlier. It felt like more than a two-star hotel. If you’re not a light sleeper, the location makes it a great base for getting around.

For me, everything else was fine. Getting around from here is really convenient, and there’s English-speaking staff. The room was clean, though a little small. I’d pick one with a window to watch what’s happening on the pedestrian street, and a higher floor if noise bothers you.

The one real plus at Jinjiang Inn is how convenient the location is, close to everything we needed. The rest of our stay was disappointing, and I wouldn’t recommend it unless location matters more to you than comfort. The bathroom smelled bad and didn’t seem to have been cleaned properly. I’d give the room 2 out of 5 for cleanliness. The AC was the other big issue. On our first day, I went to reception because I thought it was broken. They told me they’d deliberately switched off AC in all rooms, but couldn’t explain why, even after I said ours was unbearably hot. It was winter outside, yet the room felt suffocating, and the balcony door wouldn’t open to let in air. They gave us a small fan, but it barely helped. I wonder how other guests manage the temperatures if they’re dealing with the same thing.