Mercure Lujiazui Shanghai

The location next to a subway station was the one upside. I was given two rooms with fake windows, which didn't match the reservation description. When I said I wouldn't accept rooms with “decorative windows,” the receptionist was unfriendly and told me there were no alternatives. Nobody at the hotel spoke English. I don't recommend staying here.

We didn't feel like guests at the Mercure. I know hotels in China have to register a lot of personal information, but taking passport photos on someone's personal phone shouldn't be part of that. The reception staff were unfriendly and unhelpful, unlike those at many other hotels we'd stayed at in China.

The one good thing was the subway connection to the airport. Otherwise, getting there was difficult: the website shows a driveway and garden, but the actual frontage is a five-foot way beside the main road that leads to the tunnel, making taxis awkward. It also shares space with a maternity service centre 🤦🏻. Noise was another problem. It started on the ground floor at 0600, and renovation work began as early as 0900 with no notice, making teleconferences impossible. The room's voice response system was difficult for non-Chinese guests. I speak Chinese, but still found it irritating to have to turn it off every time I came back in. Service was poor too. The chambermaid used the same lift as guests or didn't give way, even though there was a service lift just a few metres away. While I was resting with the DNC on, they called every hour to ask whether the room could be cleaned.

The Metro is very close, which made it easy to get around Shanghai, especially to the tourist hotspots. The reception staff were so helpful during my stay and went out of their way to assist me. They'd even wave when I came or went. I was sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye before leaving.