Zhongdian Hotel Shanghai

There’s a lot to like about the location: it’s near major attractions, a big shopping mall, banks, the subway, and plenty of restaurants, including McDonald’s, Starbucks, and local places. A convenience store is attached to the hotel. The price is good, and my room had a small safe, a kettle, two bottles of water each day, and red and green tea. The downsides were significant. The carpet was dirty, the mattress was hard as solid wood, and there was no coffee in the room. My window faced the corridor rather than outdoors. Some rooms apparently have poor air conditioning, so you may need to ask for one with better AC. Mine still didn’t work right unless I set it to 18°, which made the room very cold overnight, so the thermostat wasn’t working well. There was no English-speaking staff, so a translator was needed. They charged a deposit even though I’d paid the full booking online, but refunded it at checkout. Breakfast was very bad, with a terrible smell, and we couldn’t eat anything.

The bed was disgusting, with little bugs on it. When I showed them to staff, they said there wasn’t much they could do. I was disappointed.

I called to book a room and they hung up on me rudely. They should have someone who speaks English, or at least take down my number.

The hotel wouldn’t provide any of the amenities it listed, including iron rentals, cleaning, or laundry service. They advertise Japanese speakers, and some staff do speak a little Japanese, but they seemed to be part-time. Most of the staff were young and rude, working on the side as if this were just a part-time job. I’d never stay here again. It’s not worth a single yuan, unless you have a masochistic streak.