Where to Stay in Shanghai — Best Areas & Hotels
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated September 2026
Shanghai wears many faces, and the hotel you choose sets the tone. Do you want a heritage room on the Bund facing Pudong’s towers, a plane-tree lane in the French Concession, or the buzz of Jing’an and the shops of Nanjing Road? We’ve grouped Shanghai’s most enduring, well-run hotels by style and character, each with an honest note and a Book Me link that opens that exact property on Trip.com so you can just choose your dates.
Luxury
Shanghai’s great hotels are destinations in themselves — Art Deco glamour on the Bund, celebrated restaurants and river views that rank among the world’s finest. Book here when you want the hotel to be as memorable as the city outside.
Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
Set in the restored former Shanghai Club on the historic Bund, this landmark pairs opulent heritage suites with a sleek adjoining tower, and its famous Long Bar is a destination in itself. Rooms look across the Huangpu to the Pudong skyline. The definitive Bund address for travellers who want old-Shanghai glamour with flawless modern service.
Book Me on Trip.com ›The Peninsula Shanghai
The only new building on the Bund in decades, the Peninsula channels 1920s Art Deco in grand style, with large marble-clad rooms, a superb spa and pool, and a Rolls-Royce fleet at the door. It sits where the Bund meets the former British Consulate gardens. A benchmark of luxury for those who want space, service and a storied riverfront setting.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Boutique
Shanghai’s boutique hotels trade grand lobbies for design and neighbourhood soul — a converted factory on the South Bund, a green-roofed hideaway near the concession lanes. Ideal for independent travellers who want style and a real sense of place.
The Waterhouse at South Bund
A celebrated design hotel carved from a 1930s warehouse on the South Bund, all raw concrete, Cor-ten steel and clever industrial-chic rooms, with a rooftop bar looking over to Pudong. It has just a handful of rooms and a cult following among architecture buffs. One caution, and we would rather say it than let you find out at the door: we could not confirm on 16 September 2026 that the Waterhouse is still trading. A Shanghai listings title has reported it closed, no review has appeared since 2023, and the hotel no longer keeps a site of its own, but nothing states the position plainly either way. Please confirm it is open before you plan around it — and if it has gone, the browse link below will show you what else the South Bund has.
Browse Shanghai hotels on Trip.com ›URBN Boutique Shanghai
A pioneering carbon-neutral boutique hotel tucked down a quiet Jing’an lane, built from reclaimed materials around a serene courtyard, with warm, individually styled rooms. Its low-key green ethos and central-yet-hidden location win loyal fans. Ideal for travellers who want calm, character and a walkable base near the Jing’an Temple and the metro.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Budget & Value
Shanghai has plenty of well-run, well-placed mid-range and budget hotels that put you a short metro ride from the Bund and the concession lanes for a fraction of the landmark rates. You trade river views for location and reliability — and spend the savings on soup dumplings and rooftop bars.
Campanile Shanghai Bund Hotel
A comfortable French-brand three-star within walking distance of the Bund and the Yuyuan Garden, offering tidy modern rooms, friendly service and dependable value in a central spot. It won’t dazzle, but the price and position for old-town sightseeing are hard to beat. A sensible base for travellers who want to be near the action without the landmark bill.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel Shanghai People’s Square
A dependable value hotel from the local Jinjiang group in a characterful older building right by People’s Square, the city’s central metro interchange. Rooms are compact but clean and comfortable, and almost every sight is a quick train ride away. Great for practical travellers who prize a central transport hub and honest prices over frills.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Family-Friendly
With children along, pools, space and easy access to the big attractions matter most. These hotels pair family rooms and kids’ facilities with locations that make Shanghai — and a Disney day — simple with little ones in tow.
Shanghai Disneyland Hotel
The flagship hotel of the Shanghai Disney Resort, an Art Nouveau fantasy wrapped around gardens, a large indoor pool and character dining, with a shuttle and easy access to the parks. Rooms are generous and family-ready, and the whole place is built around delighting children. The obvious choice for families making Disney the centrepiece of the trip.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Kerry Hotel Pudong Shanghai
A large, resort-like hotel near the Kerry Parkside mall in Pudong, with one of the city’s best hotel kids’ clubs and adventure zones, a big indoor pool and superb restaurants. There’s space to spread out and plenty to keep children busy on a rainy day. Ideal for families who want room, a proper pool and dining variety under one roof.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Adults-Only & Romantic Retreats
For a honeymoon, an anniversary or a quiet grown-up escape, these are Shanghai’s most romantic and serene addresses — long on spa time, fine dining and calm. Not formally child-free, but adult and tranquil in mood; confirm any specifics when you book.
Amanyangyun, Shanghai
An extraordinary resort on the city’s green edge, built around camphor trees and Ming and Qing dynasty houses transplanted and rebuilt stone by stone, with vast antique villas and a serene Aman spa. It feels like a private estate an hour from the Bund. The ultimate romantic splurge for couples who want privacy, heritage and deep calm.
Book Me on Trip.com ›The PuLi Hotel and Spa
A sleek urban resort overlooking Jing’an Park, with serene, minimalist rooms, a long infinity pool, a superb spa and one of the city’s most elegant bars. Central yet hushed, it’s a favourite for couples who want calm and design in the middle of the city. A romantic, restful base within walking distance of the metro and the concession lanes.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Pet-Friendly Stays
A handful of international hotels in Shanghai welcome pets. This is a reliable choice — always confirm the current pet policy, size limits and any cleaning fee directly on the booking page before you arrive.
W Shanghai – The Bund
A high-energy design hotel on the North Bund with bold interiors, a buzzy rooftop bar and knockout river views. W hotels are known for their pet-welcoming approach, and the riverside setting is good for walks. Best for stylish travellers with a small dog who want a lively scene and a great skyline outlook — confirm the current pet policy when booking.
Book Me on Trip.com ›Don’t see your perfect fit?
Browse every Shanghai hotel with live prices and availability on Trip.com. Booking through our links supports Destinations Guild at no extra cost to you.
Shanghai Hotel FAQ
The questions travellers ask most before booking a room in Shanghai.
Which area of Shanghai should I stay in?
The Bund and People's Square is the classic first choice — the riverfront, the old banking houses and the museums, with lines 1, 2, 8 and 10 underneath. The French Concession and Xintiandi are quieter and leafier, plane trees and low villas, and the best part of town to eat and walk in. Lujiazui, across the water in Pudong, is the skyline itself: towers, malls and the view back at the Bund. Jing'an is central, well connected and usually a little cheaper than the riverfront.
How do I get in from Pudong Airport?
Three good answers. The Maglev covers the first stretch to Longyang Road in a startling seven or eight minutes for 50 yuan — 40 with a boarding pass — and you finish on the metro, about an hour door to door. Metro line 2 goes the whole way for 7 to 8 yuan and takes somewhere between an hour and an hour and a half. And the Airport Link Line, opened at the end of 2024, joins Pudong to Hongqiao in about 40 minutes, which is a gift if you are connecting between the two airports. If you fly into Hongqiao instead, lines 2 and 10 both serve Terminal 2.
Anything odd about taking line 2 from the airport?
One thing worth expecting. The airport end of line 2 has long run as a short separate shuttle train, with a cross-platform change at Guanglan Road onto the full-length train into the city. It is well signed in English and takes a minute, but travellers who are not expecting it sometimes think they have boarded the wrong service. Follow the crowd and the signs; you are on the right line.
How do I pay for the metro?
Since mid-2025 the whole Shanghai network takes contactless bank cards — UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and JCB — straight at the gate. The one condition catches people out: your card's small-value contactless must already be enabled by your bank before you travel, and it cannot be switched on at the barrier. Otherwise use the Alipay or WeChat transit code, or buy a physical transport card. Fares run from 3 to about 6 yuan for most visitor journeys, and the network is signed and announced in English throughout.
How many nights should I give Shanghai?
Three nights at a minimum, four is the sweet spot — the Bund and the old city, a day in the French Concession, a museum, and time left for a water town like Zhujiajiao or a half-day in Pudong. Note too that the metro stops for the night somewhere around half past ten to eleven, earlier than the bars do, so plan the journey home.