By Lainey | December 1, 2007
Here are some other hotel and hostel options that can be considered when visiting Shanghai. I have not stayed in any of these yet, but I am familiar with the addresses and all seem to be within distance of popular attractions in Shanghai, and accessible via public transportation:
City Hotel, Shanghai
No. 5-7 South Shanxi Rd, Shanghai, China, 200020
795 RMB
This is located near Huaihai Road and is a 4-star hotel
Xinghua Hotel, Shanghai
No.1226, Huashan Road, Shanghai, China, 200052
418 RMB
This is located near Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Huaihai Road area
Xiang Yang Hotel, Shanghai
No.459 Jumen Road, Shanghai, China, 200023
198 RMB
This is located near French Concession Area
Jian Gong Jin Jiang Hotel, Shanghai
691 West Jianguo Road, Xuhui, Shanghai, China, 200030
71 USD
This is located near French Concession Area
Regal East Asia
516 HENGSHAN ROAD,SHANGHAI,CHINA 200030
TEL:(8621)6415 5588 FAX:(8621)6445 8899 E-MAIL:rieah@regal-eastasia.com
1200 RMB
Again located near French Concession area and is a 4-star hotel
Oriental Riverside Hotel
2727 Riverside Avenue, Pudong, Shanghai,
Pudong hotel. Not very familiar with this area
Okura Garden Hotel
58 Mao Ming Nan Road, Shanghai 200020 China
+86 21 6415 1111
This is a nice 4-star hotel located near French Concession and Huaihai Road
Nice Garden Hotel right near Huaihai Road. Walking distance!
Jin Jiang Hotel
59 Mao Ming Hotel
86)21-62582582
Again near French Concession area and Huaihai Road. This is not to be confused with the Jinjiang Inns, as this Jinjiang Hotel is more a 4-star kind
Jinjiang Tower Hotel, right behind Huaihai Road
Chuangye Hotel
Address:No.8,lane 128,East Yanan Road,Huangpu District, Shanghai
ZipCode:200002
Telephone:021-63235188
Fax:021-63217980
198RMB
This is located right near the Bund and Lujiazui Financial District Area
Dong Shi Hotel Shang Hai
Address:No.105 Fu Zhou Road, Shanghai
ZipCode:200002
Telephone:021-63216920
Fax:021-63211851
298RMB
This is located near the Bund and Lujiazui Financial District Area
Dahu Hotel
Address:343 Yanan Dong Road, Shanghai
ZipCode:200021
Telephone:021-63284020
Fax:021-63281496
Distance from the airport ( Km ):14
Distance from the railway station ( Km ):4
188 RMB
Again, located near the Bund and Lujiazui Financial District Area
Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel
No. 450 Middle Jiangxi Road, Shanghai, 200002, China
This is near to the People’s Park and Bund Area. Very affordable option.
Mingtown has good location at affordable price.
Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel
55 Jiangyin road, Huangpu Dist, Shanghai, China, 200003, China
This is near to the People’s Park and Bund Area. Very affordable option.
Mingtown etour has great location at the most affordable rate! From Brian Dubois
Outside Mingtown Etour Youth Hostel
Shanghai Guest House
3-12A, 398 Henan Road (S), Shanghai (Hunagpu District)
Again, located near the Bund and Lujiazui Financial District Area
Rujia Inn
800-820-3333
or (+8621)54614638
http://www.homeinns.com/
Seems like they have a lot of branches around Shanghai
Motel168
16831683
or (+8621)63168168
http://www.motel168.com/
This is a popular western chain with several branches all over Shanghai. Contrary to the hotel name, the rooms here are not 168 RMB per night. They are more like 298 or 398 RMB per night. The nearest one I know within the Puxi city center is the Yanan Road branch. However, this is located at the Yan’an East Road which is nearer to Shanghai Jiao Tong University than it is to the Bund Area.
Motel168, another popular 3-star option
Topics: Hotels in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | December 1, 2007
Good quality 3 star hotels are abundant in Shanghai. I have personally only stayed in two and can therefore vouch for only these. Both hostels I stayed in are operated by the Jin Jiang Inn group of hotels
Jinjiang Inn
Jinjiang Inn boasts of several branches all over Shanghai and the rest of China. The hotels are about 5 storeys high and about 20 rooms each, newly furnished, newly built, so even if they are 3 star hotels, the interiors still seem very clean and nice. The hotel room has complementary water dispenser (very important!), tea and coffee packets. It also has free Internet which is a surprise added feature. Good value and affordable at as low as 250 RMB a room a night. Definitely Jin Jiang Inn is at the top of the list.
The Jin Jiang Inns that have the most strategic locations are the following:
Jinjiang Inn Shanghai by the Bund
No.33 South Fujian Road, Shanghai, 200002, China
This is situated within 15 minute walking distance from the Bund, People’s Square and Huaihai Road. Very strategic location at the center of town.
Jinjiang Inn
No.339, Jiao Zhou Road
This is located right behind the Jing An Temple area
Topics: Hotels in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | December 1, 2007
Here are the top 5 luxury hotels in Shanghai based on location and quality:
Looking down from the 75th floor of Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Grand Hyatt Jinmao
Jin Mao Tower, 88 Century Boulevard, Pudong,
Shanghai, People’s Republic of China 200121
Tel: +86 21 5049 1234 Fax: +86 21 5049 1111
Email: info.ghshanghai@hyattintl.com
The Grand Hyatt at Jinmao Tower is the most luxurious hotel address in Shanghai. It is situated in the (currently) tallest building of Shanghai, the Jinmao Tower, from the 53rd to the 87th floor. At the 87th floor is where Cloud 9 Lounge is situated and is the best value for a view of the Shanghai Skyline. The buffet at the Grand Hyatt is also great, and the service is impeccable.
Grand Hyatt at Jinmao Tower
JW Marriott
399 Nanjing West Road
Shanghai, 200003 China
Phone: 86 21 53594969
Fax: 86 21 6375 5565
Sales: 86 21 5359 4969 ext. 6315
Sales fax: 86 21 6375 5797
JW Marriott Hotel at Tomorrow Square is another luxurious hotel address in Shanghai and is situated in the middle of People’s Square. It is a great location for tourists and shoppers since it is right in the middle of the Nanjing East shopping area and the Huaihai Road shopping area. At the top of the JW Marriott Hotel is the supposedly highest library in the world. In reality though, this library is more like a den.
Westin Bund Center Shanghai
Bund Center, 88 Henan Central Road Ā· Shanghai, Shanghai 200002 Ā· China
Phone: (86)(21) 6335 1888
The Westin Bund Center is also located near the Metro Line 2 Nanjing West station and is at the heart of the Lujiazui district, walking distance to the Bund and to Qi Pu Road shopping area. This is a convenient business hotel and has the famous Shanghai Uncle restaurant at its ground floor. Westin is known for its Champagne Brunches every Sunday till 4PM, which boasts of free flowing food and champagne. The Bund Center itself is also home to the likes of multinational companies like Hewlett Packard and its structure is a distinct feature in the Shanghai skyline.
Westin Shanghai by the famous Bund Center. From
spiky247
Ritz Carlton
1376, Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai 200040 China
Phone: (86 21) 6279 8888
Fax: (86 21) 6279 8800
The Portman Ritz Carlton is located at Nanjing East Road, in the middle of all the luxury shops and department stores. It is a great location and offers some fantastic dining options around it. It is located between two Metro Line 2 stations (Jing An Temple and Nanjing West Road) so it is quite conveniently reached, though you would have to walk at least 2 blocks both ways to reach these stations. The Portman complex also has a hospital, a grocery and several airline offices and embassies in its tenants list.
Good location right in the middle of Nanjing Xi Road where all the luxury shops are. By
Sofitel Hyland
505 Nanjing Road East 200001 SHANGHAI, CHINA
(+86)21/63515888 - (+86)21/63514088
sofitel@hyland-shanghai.com
This is a popular hotel to stay in since it is right outside Nanjing Road and walking distance to the Bund. It is well situated and right by the Metro Line 2 Henan Middle Road (or Nanjing West Road station).
Great location right by Nanjing Road and the Bund!
Topics: Hotels in Shanghai | 1 Comment »
By Lainey | December 1, 2007
There are several parks in Shanghai for park-lovers and strollers out there. Here they are:
Century Park
Century Park. Taken by
NIB
Located at the heart of Pudong, and with its dedicated Metro Line 2 stop, Century Park in Pudong is great place to sit down, relax and smell the surrounding nature. There is a following of runners and Tai Chi practitioners here at any time of the day as well.
Xujiahui Park
This is a huge park in the middle of Xujiahui, which is accessible if you walk eastwards along Guangyuan Road. I have not actually gone strolling here, but I am told that there are ducks and other wildlife that live in this park.
Fuxing Park
This is a rather small park, not really known for strolling and wildlife, but more known for the resident entertainment establishments that are hidden within the parkās trees. There is Park 97, Lux and Guandii. Across the street from the park is a Partyworld branch.
You can still insist on strolling in this park if you must. There is a pond right across Guandii and several benches where you can sit and just rest. A lot of times, people coming from the clubs come out here to get a breath of fresh air. Sometimes groups of people come to the park with their own drinks and sit outside talking. There is no rule against doing this and is actually a pretty creative alternative to a Saturday night.
Peopleās Park
Peopleās Park is real pretty and a great place to hang out in especially now that theyāve opened establishments like Barbarossa and Starbucks within the park.
Barbarossa lights up the otherwise unlit park and appears like an oasis out of nowhere. There are ponds around Peopleās Park and therefore you may occasionally hear frogs croaking. Around the park are some of the architectural structures in Shanghai such as the Shanghai Art Museum, the Shanghai Cultural Center and the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum. This mix of nature and architectural art adds to the beauty of Peopleās Park.
People’s Park, at the center of Shanghai’s center. By
Barry Cawston
Topics: Daytime Activities in Shanghai, Settling in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | December 1, 2007
There are massage places everywhere in Shanghai. There are those run by locals in your side street, and there are those that cater to the foreign crowd and have branches in most major areas of Shanghai. I have only been to the ones that cater to the foreign crowd and here is my assessment:
Everlasting Spa
380 Shan Xi Nan Lu
Nan Jing Xi Rd, Metro Line 2 Nanjing Xi Lu Station
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I am truly impressed by Everlasting Spa, especially the one at Nanjing Bei / Shanxi Nan Road. The one at Nanjing Bei Road is actually a restored house painted in white and accented by nice landscaping, trees and yellow light from outside. Inside are several rooms providing the complete range of spa services. Here you can get a foot spa, an exfoliating treatment, a facial treatment, an aromatic bath, and of course, a massage.
Great spa options at Everlasting Spa
The one I tried was the Chinese massage and let me tell you that it is the best massage in the worldā¦If you like to get bruised and beaten up that is! Seriously though, although the Chinese massage is a bit rough, it is effective in that it releases all your muscle tension through repetitive hard strokes of high stress areas in your body like your back and neck. Donāt leave China without trying this massage, if you like hard massages that is!
To get here, take the Metro Line 2 Nanjing West Road Station and walk two blocks through Nanjing Bei Road. There is also one branch in XiangYang Road, but it is smaller and I have never tried it. Best to go to their flagship branch at Nanjing Bei Road. The staff speaks English so you will be not have a hard time.
Dragonfly Spa
206 Xinle Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China
(near the junction of Donghu/Fumin/Xinle Roads)
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Reservations: (86 21) 5403-9982
Hours of Operation: 10 :00 am through 02:00 am, 7 days a week
Other branches can be found in their website
Dragonfly Spa is the most popular expat massage place, with the most number of branches across Shanghai. Here they also offer a complete set of spa services and their receptionists also speaks English.
However, on the one and only time that I went to a Dragonfly Spa (the one at XiangYang Road), I was not thoroughly impressed. The person who massaged me seemed like an amateur and was not consistent in her technique. I am sure that it must have just been the masseuse at that particular time and that there are other better masseuse who work for Dragonfly. Other than this, the place was clean and the ambiance was good. So still worth a try.
To get here, get off at the Metro Line 1 Shanxi Stop or take any one of the Huaihai buses to get off at the Shanxi stop. You can then walk northwards along Xiangyang Road and will eventually reach Dragonfly.
Topics: Daytime Activities in Shanghai, Settling in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | November 24, 2007
If you are only a short term resident in Shanghai, the choice of bank really shouldnāt matter that much. Perhaps the biggest factor would be proximity to your home. Here are some accessible consumer banks where first-time settlers go to for their banking needs.
Bank of China
This is personally where I had opened my bank account. It is the most reliable in consumer banking and has branches everywhere. In Xujiahui district alone, there is branch in the ground level of Grand Gateway, a branch along Tianyaoqiao Road, and one along Xinhua Road near Panyu Road.
You can open an account here by filling out a form and presenting your passport and another ID. You must maintain a balance of 10 RMB to keep the account active. There are ATMs everywhere as well so you can withdraw your money. The ATM also directly updates your passbook if you wish to do that.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. From
kernbeisser
Industrial Bank of China (IBBC)
This one also has a lot of branches and is actually in a better financial position than the Bank of China. I have exchanged my money here in the past, and the service is not bad. Just really a typical bank.
Topics: Settling in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | November 24, 2007
Most China Posts have a Western Union. The most accessible one would be in Huaihai Road, right by the Metro Line 1 Changshu station. You can get here either via the metro or via one of the Huaihai Road buses.
To check the nearest Western Union to your location, you may visit http://www.westernunion.com . They have an accurate directory listing of all the China Posts with Western Union services in Shanghai.
Always remember, when claiming your Western Union transfer, make sure you have the full name of the person who actually posted the transfer. I learned this the hard way and had to wait for a long time in the post office till I finally got hold of my friend. The staff just wonāt budge no matter how much pleading you do.
Topics: Settling in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | November 24, 2007
Tutoring foreigners is a lucrative profession among Shanghainese. A lot of Shanghainese get into tutoring for easy money and to meet foreigners. There are several kinds of Mandarin tutors:
Professional Tutors
These are the people who do nothing but tutor/teach Mandarin all day, and have certifications to back their profession up. The good ones are also part-time teachers in universities and language centers. Their rates are usually 150 RMB and above per hour, so it is best to schedule time with such tutors as a group so that you can divide costs. To get such professional tutors, you usually just approach your teachers directly and ask them if they do part-time. Teachers in Shanghai Jiao Tong University often do this.
Some teachers part-time as professional tutors here at Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Part-Time Tutors
Getting a part-time non-certified tutor in Shanghai is easy, but to get a quality one can be quite tricky especially if you donāt know what to watch out for, and what questions to ask. Luckily, I have been through the same ordeal (and learned from it!) and can recommend some ways to make sure you get the best tutor:
Know that the lowest rate for a Mandarin tutor is 20 RMB per hour. I did not know this, and went ahead and signed with a young lady who had a going rate of 50 RMB. Not only that, she had asked me to give a down payment of 7 sessions, which was totally absurd come to think of it, given that she really had no teaching credentials to her name. 50 RMB is actually not too bad if you compare the other people who end up paying 100 RMB or 150 RMB per hour just to get a Mandarin tutor. Paying 100-150 RMB per hour is only justifiable if you are getting your tutoring from a seasoned Mandarin professor.
Ask what school she came from. This will help you size up whether his/her methods are somewhat valid, and whether she has some sort of aptitude for tutoring. Good schools to be affiliated with are Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University and Fudan University among others.
Ask what other work she does aside from tutoring. Again, some people just get into Mandarin tutoring for fun. You would like to have a tutor who really does this for a living. If she does translations and other tutoring jobs for a living, then chances are that she sort of knows what she is doing
Listen to your tutor’s accent: By this time, you can hopefully distinguish between a Shanghainese accent and a standard Mandarin accent (a.k.a. the type that you hear in Beijing). Choose a tutor with a standard Mandarin accent, else you will have difficulty understanding her, and feel stupid as a result.
In the future, make sure to ask what school your tutor came from and test her diction. Donāt settle for someone with a heavy Shanghainese Mandarin accent or else you and your tutor will just spend a lot of time repeating phrases.
Topics: Studying in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | November 24, 2007
There are at least 2 options for an English masteral degree in Shanghai:
China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
CEIBS campus. Watch out for their open day sessions posted in their website
CEIBS is a world-class business school located in Pudong. The campus is a set of immaculately white and modern buildings with green manicured lawns. It is probably one of the most modern school campuses Iāve seen. CEIBS is among the top 10 business schools in Asia, and attracts a lot of international students. The medium of instruction is in English, and the school has partnerships with renowned universities abroad like Columbia University.
I attended one of CEIBSā open days and had a chance to visit this campus. The campus is nearest to the Line 2 Century Park stop, but is still a 15 minute cab ride from here. Personally I did not like the campus a lot, but apparently this is the best business school to take an MBA with in China, so CEIBS is worth considering.
Tongji University
I have no further information about this school. My friend has taken her masters here though, and I can obtain more comments as necessary. The website does not list a lot of information on its MBA program except for the fact that the school promotes exchanges with a lot of universities in other countries. If you were seriously considering an MBA in Shanghai, I would go for CEIBS.
Topics: Studying in Shanghai | No Comments »
By Lainey | November 24, 2007
There are many places to learn Mandarin in Shanghai. You can study in a University or a language school. Here are some popular University options:
By the indoor park inside Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
This is where I went! Right in the city center of Shanghai, so very convenient location especially if you also want to experience living in the heart of Shanghai. This is also where several notable political and sports figures went like Jiang Zemin and Yao Ming the NBA basketball player. You can choose to take any of the following Mandarin language programs:
1. Short-Term Mandarin course: This is often held every Summer, during the month of July. This is only for 1 month.
2. Long-Term Mandaring course: This is for 6 months, available in both semesters of the school year. SJTU follows the American school year calendar, with semesters starting every September and February.
Jiao Tong University in spring time
Fudan University
The location of this school is quite far, so if you study here, you would really only be moving around this area. However, the school is known to be among the best in China, having science affiliations to western schools like Yale University.
Shanghai International Studies University (SISU)
I don’t know much about SISU except that it is quite a long commute from the Shanghai city center.
Topics: Studying in Shanghai | No Comments »
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