Original Intention Start Hotel (Shanghai International Tourism Resort)

Breakfast was tasty and included, and there’s a free shuttle to the airport. The front desk staff were very nice.

China’s Covid policy meant foreigners weren’t allowed to check in here, even though Holiday Inn is an international brand. If you’re a foreigner in China, don’t go to this hotel.

The bathroom was in terrible shape. Water backed up as soon as I started showering, so I had to stop after about three minutes when it looked ready to flood. It sat there for roughly half an hour before it started draining. Most rooms look out over a small, smelly canal. The room itself was a decent size. I stayed one night for some reason, and they did give me a fruit basket at check-in as a perk for Platinum members. The hotel is tucked away in an isolated little commercial area, so it really only suits tour groups or people going to Shanghai Disneyland. I highly recommend it.

The breakfast was just so-so, though enough to get the day started. Rooms 305 and 303 smelled musty. There’s free laundry and a dryer, but you need to do the washing yourself. Xiao Zhi was friendly and helpful about arranging paid transport. The hotel is only a short drive from Disneyland. On the free ride there, the guide warned us against street sellers and scammers by the gate, then advertised their own tour guides at various prices. My advice is to buy through Disney staff or online. Avoid the hotel arranged bus tour guides and the sellers outside the gate. They all charge heavily marked up prices.