There is a sense of mystery and unknown surrounding China even today when we have access to much more information. I am always amazed at the overall beauty of the bustling city of Shanghai. When you think of a cosmopolitan city, New York with its crowds and grit come to mind. Shanghai is an interesting blend of modern architecture, beautiful landscaping, original cultural traditions and of course amazing hospitality.
Here’s a glimpse into my recent stay at The Portman- Ritz Carlton Shanghai
With so many great seating area’s throughout the hotel, it was always a pleasure to just relax and enjoy the ambiance
To further prove just how cosmopolitan Shanghai is, there are not one, but TWO Ritz Carlton’s located in Shanghai (in comparison to Los Angeles, where there is only one).
The Portman-Ritz Carlton was the brands first location to open in China so its slightly older than its sister location in Pudong, but with almost 600 guest rooms, and beautiful architecture it still has many impressive qualities that made my stay memorable
As soon as you step inside the lobby, you are immediately surrounded by luxury, modernity and extremely helpful hotel staff.
Throughout the hotel you will find these great nooks and places to relax, grab a coffee, catch up on some work, or just people watch.
I found so many stylishly designed spots throughout the hotel
The common theme?
Modern furniture with elements of the traditional Chinese culture.
The Rooms
While the main area’s of the hotel are stunning, the room interors show the age of the hotel.
The decor and overall aesthetic in the rooms could use a refresh to match the main areas of the hotel.
I think this is one of the main reasons there is such a price difference between the two hotels under the same Ritz Carlton banner.
That being said, the service was still in line with the five-star hospitality we have come to expect from the Ritz.
Room Service
With Food being part of our name; Literally, we place a lot of importance on the quality and overall culinary experiences we have both within a city and at the hotel’s we stay at during our trips.
This being the Ritz, my expectation level in terms of food quality was high.
I knew the price would be steep (and it was) but I was willing to pay as I expected a gastronomic delight.
Unfortunalty the food lacked the wow factor in terms of taste that I was expecting. Room service and overall hotel food services has seen a huge shift on a global level as travelers are more aware of good quality food and have upped their expectations. There is also a huge selection of great food to be had right outside the hotels, compeling hotels to step up their in house food game to ensure guest avail their services.
Car Service
Whenever you are traveling, its always a nice advantage when a hotel offers some form of complimentary car service.
Since this is a Ritz Carlton its a limo service and I must say, the overall experience was great.
The service has a 3 km limit, but that worked for me, as my Shanghai office was close. The service was on-time, friendly, and the car itself was great.
The hotel does recommend that you reserve your car at least 24 hours in advance.
Final Thoughts
This hotel has some distinct strong points like their overall customer service and hospitality. The way they treat their guest and how attentive they are is truly a testament to the famous Ritz Carlton Service that we tend to associate with the name.
On the other hand there are some things to consider before booking this hotel. Although it is clean and the public areas are modern and renovated, the rooms themselves are a bit outdated. There is another location within the same city that is newer but is also a bit more pricey.
Maybe in a few years the rooms will get a remodel and then this hotel will honestly be a 9 on 10. If they improve on their room service food, a solid 10.
Even with the areas that can be improved upon, I absolutely do not regret staying here.
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If you want to know more information about booking into this hotel, you can check out their official website here
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14 Comments
That’s awesome there’s a complimentary car service, even if it is only 3km! Looks like a great place to stay – shame about the food but I don’t doubt there are tons of incredible places to grab a bite to eat right around the hotel!
The service really was fabulous. The area is soo lively that there really were soo many options for amazing food that the room service was just a small hiccup and the overall stay was great!
Have you stayed at the other location in the city? I wonder if the price is worth it, and if the rooms are more modern.
We haven’t stayed at the other but we have seen the lobby and it is STUNNING, the price is higher also becaues of its location. Its right on The Bund which is the “it” street in Shanghai.
I love the idea of all the little nooks where you can relax around the hotel (although I have to admit, I rarely spend much time in our hotels when we travel…)
The food *looks* fantastic, it is such a shame that it did not wow you…especially when you’re in a city with such good food elsewhere!
Yeah, normaly we are out and about when we are in a new city as well. In this case husband dearest was there for business so he really appreciated having spaces to relax at the hotel after a long day. I feel with the food situation, it was beautiful but yes, the room service needs a re-vamp. The buffet was great though “)
It looks gorgeous! How much are the rooms a night?
Yes the hotel really was beautiful. As with most hotels the room rates are based on when you are traveling. For our trip in October the room was around 330 USD per night before taxes. We had a Delux King Club Room with a High Floor. The Club Rooms include breakfast as well as a pretty substantial happy hour spread on their designated floor. Check around for special offers. We hope this helps 🙂
Beautiful hotel! Great place to stay while visiting Shaghei. Loved your photos and thanks for sharing!
Thank you. We are glad you enjoyed the post and yes, Shanghai is a great city to visit. 🙂
This hotel looks amazing! I will definitely look into staying here when I make it to Shanghai! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Im glad you enjoyed the post. Shanghai really is magical and fingers crossed we all can safely travel again soon 🙂
Hotel looks beautiful and the view from the room is amazing. We would love to visit in the future.
It is a beautiful hotel in an even prettier and vibrant city