StarHome Dapuqiao Branch

There are four large, tall buildings, and my room had a good street view. The hotel was neat and clean, with a big breakfast buffet hall serving good food. Front desk staff were polite. With public transport, including a metro station, nearby, plus plenty of restaurants and shopping within walking distance, it was a good place to stay in Shanghai.

The hotel is quite old now, and the rooms and appliances feel dated, though Tower one is being renovated, so that may improve. The location is great, and you can walk to the former French concession. If you get a room on one of the top floors, the view is amazing since the hotel is taller than most buildings in shanghai.

I’ve stayed here a few times in the Discount Room. It’s reasonably clean, though there’s visible wear and tear. My first visit came with a balcony, but it was quite dirty, so it didn’t really add anything except extra space. On my second visit, I got there around noon and was allowed to check in early, but the room wasn’t ready. They said it would take 30 minutes, so I left our stuff and went out. When I came back at 4, it still hadn’t been cleaned. If check-in starts at 2, housekeeping should have finished by then. Waiting two more hours felt pathetic. The toilet smelled so strongly that it stunk up the whole room and needs replacing. Discount Rooms had basic amenities, with no ironing things. Front desk check-in and checkout are quick, though sometimes they make mistakes copying visas and call you back. They speak basic English, but that wasn’t a problem. There’s a breakfast buffet and an airport shuttle. The main selling point is the okay location for the price, which makes it convenient to get around.

The location near the metro and the low price are about all this place has going for it. Our room was filthy and falling apart: stained, peeling wallpaper, a large white mark on the armchair, a towel rack and hairdryer coming loose from the wall, a toilet that barely flushed, and a dead fridge and thermostat. It was unbearably hot, so we left the balcony door open all week in the middle of winter and still woke up sweating. The WiFi kept dropping, and the signal was too weak to upload photos half the time. We were first sent to a floor that reeked of smoke, then offered a room across the hall before eventually being moved to another floor. The service was awful, especially from the concierge. My Chinese-speaking sister-in-law was helping arrange flowers for my wife and had to yell at him on the phone because he was so rude. He also told the delivery man he’d throw the flowers out if they were left with the concierge while I came downstairs, so the man had to wait in the lobby for me. Even at this price, I wouldn’t stay again. There are other hotels nearby that I’m sure would be a big improvement.