The Central Hotel Shanghai is great value, well situated and provides very good service. We stayed here twice during a short visit to central China in early May 2008. It seems to cater to western and Chinese tour groups, business people and wedding parties, giving it a quite cosmopolitan and international feeling. English is widely spoken by staff. Rooms (we stayed in 1704 and 2005) are very well appointed, and laundry and housekeeping is of a very high standard. Beds are very comfortable, although mattresses may be a little harder than some western visitors are used to. Rooms are of a good size, although the window in 2005 was smaller due to the hotel facade's distinctive circular motif on the upper floors. Climate control of the room was perfect. The buffet breakfast provided in the "coffee shop" (its actually the hotel's main restaurant) is an excellent combination of western and Chinese food and also very good value, being included in our tariff. We found a feed here really set us up for the day. The same can't be said for the buffet dinner available after 5.00 pm for about 150RMB per head. This was quite dull and lacking in imagination by comparison - its hard to believe it came out of the same kitchen in this otherwise immaculate hotel. We were so disappointed that to avoid it on another night we ate at the Sofitel next door - an outstanding buffet at about 250RMB. Of course, the Nanjing Rd area has many very good restaurants. The Central Hotel also has a Chinese restaurant on the second floor which we did not eat at. There is a mini-supermarket on the first (ground) floor next to the business centre, and some quite good quality shops on level 2. The Central Hotel's location is undoubtedly one of its great attractions - walking distance to the Bund, the spectacular Shanghai Museum, and of course Nanjing Rd's many stores. We also walked 30 minutes to the Yu Yuan Gardens and braved the hard sell for pearls and jade in the surrounding market. It was only some time later that we discovered a much better jade and pearl market directly opposite the Central Hotel in Nanjing Rd (Shanghai Souvenir Market and Pearl City, next to Baleno and KFC). The Central Hotel is highly recommended and one of my best hotel experiences in China.

The Central Hotel Shanghai, as its name suggests, is centrally located in PuXi, just a block off Nanjing Road and about 1/2 mile from the Bund. It's pretty much an ideal location. I arrived in the middle of a once-in-a-decade snowstorm and was soaked to the skin from sleet and snow. Disinclined to explore further for dinner, I changed clothes and headed to one of the hotel's two restaurants for dinner. The Central Hotel Shanghai includes a traditional Chinese restaurant and a 24 hour coffee shop that offers a mix of Chinese and western cuisine. Still feeling sodden and unadventurous, I opted for the buffet dinner at the coffee shop. Not my best decision. Unlike most aspects of the hotel, dinner at the coffee shop was only of marginal quality. Although several entrees were offered, including sushi and a few traditional Chinese dishes in addition to a number of western-styled foods, none were particularly fresh or well made. Everything was institutional and bland - a ridiculously boring dinner in this city of thousands of interesting meals. Still, it had the distinct advantage of being warm and dry. My room was equally satisfactory: although not overly large, it featured a firm, comfortable king-sized bed, four enormous pillows and a scattering of throw pillows. The room was attractively decorated in pale yellow and gold, with polished wood accents. Two armchairs flanked a small table next to the windows, which overlooked the high-rise surroundings. Like many Asian hotel rooms, this one had a bedside console to control lighting, HVAC, the large flat screen TV, and so on. Lots of nice high-intensity lighting throughout the room, silky linens, and an overall air of quality furnishings invested the place with a nice, relaxing vibe. The bath, although small and clearly of older vintage, was scrupulously clean and in good repair. Again, as is typical in China, the complimentary toiletries extended to a bounty of multiple toothbrushes, mini-towels, lotions, cleaning cloths, unguents, and potions, all neatly arrayed in soldierly ranks next to the sink. The public portions of the Central Hotel Shanghai include a large fitness center, a sauna and massage area, meeting rooms, a business center, and several high-end retail shops. The lobby and mezzanine are attractively furnished in dignified marble and gilt and the whole place has the same upper-end hustle and bustle you'd find in a similarly-positioned hotel across the globe: lots of sleekly modern folks with cell phones and laptops busily scurrying in and out of cabs, meetings, and the like. Although the staff were coping with the unseasonable weather, which made the marble steps and sloped drive rather treacherous, the entire hotel hummed with the quiet confidence of a well-oiled hospitality machine, and indeed, with the minor exception of my undistinguished dinner, I'd have to say that the Central Hotel Shanghai succeeds at meeting global standards for a four star property. My standard room cost the equivalent of about $100/night - from my perspective, a good value, if not a complete bargain. I think any visitor would be satisfied with this hotel in this price range.

The hotel is a 4-star hotel, located right in the heart of Shanghai. Our transfer from Shanghai Pudong airport was painless with the hotel shuttle bus which delivered us straight to the hotel. The hotel is located less than 100m from Nanjing Lu, a major shopping district in the heart of Shanghai. Our room was a bit small, but it was nicely furnished and renovated. The sheets were of the highest quality. The outside of the hotel had neon lights which changed colours. Very pretty, but tacky. Reminded us a bit of a hotel in Las Vegas. People in Shanghai tended to leave us tourists alone, unlike people in other cities in China (e.g. Beijing and Xian). Touting was a rarity. All in all, we had a comfortable stay at the Central, although it was a bit pricier than other hotels. The location had its price.

Great location for walking around the city. About half the price of the big name hotels in the same class