Oriental Riverside Hotel Shanghai

Oriental River Hotel is a conferencing facility which I used to take part in the debates about China’s development future. I used Suite 611. I found the suite pleasant on many fronts, but notably that it is spacious, modern and thoughtfully designed. The lounge area is well appointed with a work and dining area, a lounge seating facing a large Phillips television and a large window facing the busy Yangtze river. The bedroom, adorned with a king sized bed with clean white sheets has even larger windows looking to the river and the Bund. A beautiful walk-in wardrobe is a welcome amenity. The bathroom is equally spacious spotting a white bath, granite-walled shower with a large head and simple controls, and warmed toilet. The bathroom is some ways also a lounging area. You do not want to close shower once you start. Standard bathroom amenities were supplied. Electrical connections are amply provided just about everywhere you may need them. They come with amply provided USB-A sockets in the lounge and bedroom. Regrettably, it appears it will take some time for USB C to replace USB A. European and US plugs are thoughtfully provided for in the Asian wall sockets. The Hotel is situated next to the tunnel that takes you by “baby” rail to the Bund which hosts the highest density of pedestrians and shopping on Nanjin road and waterfront which is akin to New York’s Time Square. It is also next to the Oriental Pearl Tower the three tallest buildings in Shanghai. My experience with internet was amusing and it has nothing to do with the hotel per se. As I prepared for travel I listened to online advice that I should install a VPN and I chose Express VPN at about $100 annual subscription. I learned the hard way that the Google suite be it YouTube, search engine, and maps were simply not working, with and without the VPN. Many other websites did not work at all and one told me it is blocked. Those that worked—WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram did in a manner that presents such a frustrating experience that ensures you hate them for good. Luckily my bank apps worked well. I discovered that brandishing a credit card while it worked in some establishments, it was a backward thing as most payments are platformed on WeChat. I pulled out my Huawei Pay (backed up by my card) on my phone and the attendant told me they had never heard of Huawei Pay! Go figure. All in my Visa cards worked well for ATM and swipe transactions. Shanghai is an international city much like Tokyo, London, New York, Rio, and Johannesburg, etc. Like them, it is expensive.

The hotel was a 10-minute walk to the subway station. It’s next to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and also the newly opened Museum of Art Pudong. It’s a short walk to Super Brand Mall. The room was modern and spacious and my room overlooked Lujazui. The bed was big and comfortable. The curtains were controlled by switch. The only issue I had with the room was the curtain was not affixed firmly to the wall, and there was light leaking into the room early in the morning. There was a wide selection of food in the breakfast buffet. Overall the hotel was very good value for money.

The hotel is majestic in its original scope and ambitions, being right by the river in Pudong and next to the Shanghai TV tower, it occupies some of the best real estate in Shanghai. But it’s undeniably aged, from the nondescript luxury items for sale in the hotel lobby store to its ailing buffet (stay far away from the sushi section it’s abominably bad), it is still a good hotel from a hardware point of view, but one can do much better in the area with newer hotels. Also as of the time I stayed (December 2019), there is construction next to the hotel, which affects the air quality, you can smell construction fumes from the lobby. For this, I’d recommend staying after the construction is done. One positive point is that the rooms have a very good lighting scheme, can get very bright if need be, the pillow selection is excellent and the water pressure and temperature are good on demand. If you are just looking for a solid night’s sleep, the rooms are recommendable.

Conveniently located adjacent to the Shanghai International Convention Centre at the edge of the Huangpu River, this hotel offers everything you could ever want as a tourist or conference delegate. It is modern, luxurious and well appointed. The rooms facing the river offer a kaleidoscopic view of the Bund, the setting sun, the light displays in the evening and the myriad boats that pass by continuously. Each time you glance out the window, the landscape changes- art in motion- and the saying... » you can never step into the same river twice » echoed throughout my week long stay there. It is walking distance from the subway station and tour booking offices. Opposite the front door is the entrance to the underwater tunnel that takes you on a magical journey to the Bund area on the other side. The staff are polite and friendly even though they all struggle to understand English. There is a need for a dedicated travel desk. However, the concierge tries his best to advise. The spa and hair salon are in desperate need of renovation. However, these were the few negative aspects of this visit. The food at breakfast caters for all tastes, the music in the reception and central restaurant is soothing and the general ambience is always pleasing. Its been a long time since i was overwhelmed by service excellence and high quality accommodation all in one place.

My wife and I stayed here at the Oriental Riverside in Shanghai for 4 nights. The hotel was very nice and clean, if slightly outdated in certain areas. We had a river view room. I would highly recommend this view as the boat traffic on the river is constant and interesting to watch. Also, with this view you have the opportunity to see the Bund on the opposite bank of the river and the beautiful light shows that illuminate the Bund at night. For food, the room service menu was a bit limited for western tastes but was available if needed 24hiurs with at least a limited menu. The breakfast buffet was expansive with many international options including cooked to order eggs, fresh noodles, sushi, as well as many fresh fruits etc. for sightseeing the hotel was right next to the Shanghai Tower and a short distance from the Shanghai Financial Center with amazing (albeit high-priced) shopping. If you are interested in going to the Bund there is a convenient “subway” under the river called the “Bund Sightseeing Tunnel” just across the street from the hotel. Overall, this was a great homebase for a visit to Shanghai.