JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai Changfeng Park

The service was top-notch, and the hotel really does live up to the Marriott name. My room was huge and luxurious, with a super-comfy bed. The bathroom was spacious too, with a modern tub overlooking the city, automatic curtains, and nice bath salts. It's a chic, lovely place. The main drawback is that there are no malls or convenience stores within walking distance, so finding decent food nearby can be hard.

The staff handled a check-in mistake quickly: I was assigned a room that had already been given to another guest, though luckily they weren't in it. I told reception, and they apologized, offered an upgrade and a small gift, and did their best to put things right. Apart from that, I loved my stay at JW Marriott in Shanghai. The service, staff, facilities, and location were all just perfect. Really a wonderful hotel!

Staff here are very friendly, and it's a decent JWM, but it doesn't match the standard of other JWM hotels I've stayed at in Asia. The location is okay, though the drive from Pudong Airport takes more than 80-90 minutes. Hongqiao airport and train station are closer, but better hotels are nearer still. Rooms are spacious but quite old. The lobby bar isn't inviting and gets very cold in winter because it's near the front door. The restaurant behind it is bright and loud, with school-cafeteria-style seating; at certain times a band plays, making conversation difficult. Food there is mediocre at best, and the wine and beer choices are poor. The steak restaurant on B1 is a much better option, with very good food and a decent wine selection.

We actually booked this place by mistake because we meant to stay at the downtown JW, but it turned out better than we could have hoped. The hotel is quieter than its downtown cousin, with a massive park and great places to visit nearby. It's also easy to get downtown by car or metro. The staff were so friendly. Most guests seemed to be Chinese business travelers, and the attention felt especially good because this is more of a business hotel than a tourist one. During supper one night, I got cold and the waiter noticed. He dashed off and came back with a really thick shawl for me. I was stunned. At breakfast, I got up to use the buffet and came back to find three people at my table, even though my bags and drink were still there. It's common in China for strangers to share tables. The waiter noticed I was surprised, moved my bags, and took my travel buddy and me to another table. Those guests had taken his seat, so we had to move.