The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong

The room service felt like its own restaurant experience. The staff took great care preparing and serving the food, and both that and the restaurant and lounge offered fantastic food and service. The dishes were cooked to perfection, making for a great dining experience. On Saturday night I went to the rooftop bar, where the atmosphere was incredible. The DJ set felt like something from a VIP rooftop party, and the view over the city was great. The hotel connects to a shopping mall with high-end vendors and fantastic restaurants on levels 3 - 4. Its location is great. From the moment I arrived at The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong until checkout, the staff went above and beyond to make my stay comfortable and enjoyable. My room was spacious, with a fantastic harbour view. The amenities were great, especially the shower with strong pressure and the bath for soaking after days exploring the city and its attractions. Housekeeping kept the room clean and even set up the bed for bedtime, leaving bottles of water with glasses on the bedside and slippers next to the bed. There’s plenty more I could say, but you have to experience it yourself. I had an excellent stay and would highly recommend The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong. Big thanks to the staff for the excellent service and warm welcome.

The service is what keeps making my stays here special. Everyone was friendly, thoughtful, and attentive, with a real eye for detail. Ashin and Winga looked after me during my stays. Their warm, effortless care made me feel at home, while all the little touches reminded me I was at the Ritz-Carlton. The hotel is in the IFC building, with modern rooms and beautiful views of the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower. It’s decorated beautifully, with a feel that’s elegant, warm, and welcoming. There are good restaurants in the hotel, and having all the shops and places to eat inside IFC is incredibly convenient. Blue Bottle for coffee, La Boulangerie Robuchon for pastries, and Da Dong for Peking duck were all great to have nearby. The supermarket on level B2 has a very good selection of fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, and seafood. This is probably one of the best hotels I’ve stayed in, and it checks every box for me. It feels like my second home in Shanghai. I’ll keep coming back.

Flair on the rooftop was easy to get to, and the hotel is close to IFC Mall, shops, and plenty of restaurants. On our first visit, the staff set up a tent for my daughter and left us a welcome dessert. They were especially fluent in English. Our room was spotless, quiet, and well insulated, and turndown service came right on time. Definitely coming back.

The view is outstanding, and the hotel itself has top-tier facilities. The food was average, though, and the service made this a one-time stay for me. Of the nine hotels I stayed at on this trip, this had the weakest overall service, and there seemed to be too few staff. The concierge team was excellent and gave us the kind of experience I expect from a Ritz-Carlton. The managers also tried to make things right, which I appreciated. But reception could be dismissive and even disrespectful at times, and I encountered things here that I’ve never experienced at another hotel. The lounge was especially frustrating. It seemed like just one staff member spoke English, so everyone else had to rely on them to translate and service was extremely slow. Even ordering an iced chocolate took several tries. Chloe couldn’t understand the simple order after my daughter, my husband, and I each repeated it. We eventually got the drink, but it shouldn’t have been that difficult. A local chain café would have handled it more smoothly. This was the hotel I’d most looked forward to in Shanghai. The view alone made the stay feel somewhat worthwhile, but I can’t rate the service positively and wouldn’t return.