Where to Stay in Shanghai: Best Luxury Hotels

Where to stay in Shanghai, China: luxury hotels, neighbourhoods and dining, with research-based guidance from Peters Signature.

Where to stay in Shanghai: the best hotels and neighbourhoods

Shanghai is China's most international city: Art Deco banks along the Bund face the glass towers of Pudong across the Huangpu River, while plane-tree-lined lanes in the former French Concession hide cocktail bars, boutiques and some of Asia's most ambitious restaurants. For luxury travellers it rewards a short, well-planned stay built around river views, food and architecture.

• Location: Shanghai, China
• Region: East Asia
• Recommended length of stay: 3–5 nights

Best neighbourhoods to stay in Shanghai

The Bund

Shanghai's historic waterfront, lined with early-20th-century Art Deco and neoclassical buildings facing the Pudong skyline.. Best for First-time visitors, river-view hotel rooms, evening walks and rooftop bars.. Where to stay: A late-evening walk along the promenade when the Pudong skyline is lit..

Former French Concession

Leafy streets of low-rise villas and lane houses, with independent boutiques, cafés and cocktail bars.. Best for Walking, shopping, relaxed dining and a residential feel.. Where to stay: Wandering Wukang Road and the lanes around Anfu Road..

Lujiazui (Pudong)

The skyscraper district across the river, home to the Shanghai Tower and some of the city's highest hotel rooms.. Best for Skyline views, business trips and observation decks.. Where to stay: The view back across the river to the Bund from a high-floor bar..

Jing'an

Central and polished, around Jing'an Temple and the West Nanjing Road shopping strip.. Best for Luxury shopping, central hotels and easy metro access.. Where to stay: Jing'an Temple, then the flagship stores on West Nanjing Road..

Where to eat near your hotel in Shanghai

• Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet — Multi-sensory tasting menu — $$ — The single set menu served at one table for a small group, with projected sound, scent and imagery for each course.
• Fu 1088 — Shanghainese — $$ — Classic Shanghainese dishes such as smoked fish and braised pork, served in private rooms of a 1930s villa.
• Jia Jia Tang Bao — Soup dumplings — $ — Pork or crab soup dumplings (xiaolongbao), made to order.
• Lost Heaven — Yunnan — $$ — Yunnan-style dishes such as wild mushrooms and Dai-style grilled fish.

Local intel: what to do in Shanghai

• See the Bund twice: early morning, when locals practise tai chi on the promenade, and after dark, when the skyline is lit.
• Visit Yu Garden at opening time to see the Ming-era garden before the surrounding bazaar fills up.
• Allow a half day for Zhujiajiao or another canal town if you want a slower contrast to the city.
• Check visa and transit-visa rules for your passport well before travel, as they change.

A 3–5 nights plan for Shanghai

1

Morning: Walk the Bund promenade and step into the restored lobbies of its historic buildings. Afternoon: Visit Yu Garden and the old town lanes, then try soup dumplings for a late lunch. Evening: Dinner overlooking the river, followed by a rooftop drink facing Pudong.

2

Morning: Stroll Wukang Road and the surrounding lanes, stopping for coffee in a converted villa. Afternoon: Browse independent boutiques, then visit the Power Station of Art or the West Bund galleries. Evening: Shanghainese dinner in a private room, then a cocktail bar in the former French Concession.

3

Morning: Head up the Shanghai Tower observation deck early, before queues build. Afternoon: Shop West Nanjing Road and visit Jing'an Temple. Evening: A celebratory tasting menu to close the trip.

Getting around Shanghai

The metro is fast, clean and signposted in English. For door-to-door travel, ask your hotel to arrange a car with a driver, especially for Pudong International Airport, which is a long drive from the centre. The Maglev train runs between Pudong Airport and Longyang Road station.

Travel tips for international visitors to Shanghai

• How long to stay: 3–5 nights
• Language: Mandarin and the local Shanghainese dialect are spoken; English is common in luxury hotels but limited with taxi drivers. Keep your hotel's name and address written in Chinese characters, and set up a mobile payment app or carry a card your hotel confirms is accepted.

What to skip in Shanghai

• Arriving without a working mobile payment method or a card your hotel confirms is widely accepted.
• Accepting invitations to tea houses or art shows from friendly strangers near tourist sights.
• Planning to cross the city during weekday rush hours by car.
• Visiting during Golden Week in early October, when domestic crowds peak.

The best luxury hotels in Shanghai, China cluster in a handful of districts, and the district matters more than the name on the door. Plan on 3–5 nights to do Shanghai properly.

Shanghai city guide · reviewed luxury hotels · best time of year to go · destinations across East Asia · luxury hotels by city · compare Shanghai with other cities

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