Park Hyatt ShanghaiShanghai is a modern, glistening city, positioned near the Chinese coast, around halfway between Hong Kong and Beijing. With the introduction of the 72 h visa-free travel for travellers connecting through Shanghai, the city is easier than ever to visit and seems more tourist-friendly than many cities in China. On arrival at the airport, we took the amazing MagLev train (430 km/hr) into the city, before eventually finding an acceptable taxi to transfer us to the Park Hyatt (there are a lot of touts at the MagLev station, who offer taxi services at vastly increased fares - a taxi to the Park Hyatt should cost around 30 RMB).
For Hyatt fans, the decision in Shanghai is difficult with 4 great hotels to choose from. On this stay, we decided on the Park Hyatt as we loved the photos online and they had a suite available for us to use our diamond suite upgrade certificate. The hotel is similar to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, with reception on the 87th floor and the hotel occupying floors 79-93 of the Shanghai World Financial Centre on Century Avenue, making it the second tallest hotel in the World. The interior is a Tony Chi design classic. We had advised the hotel of our early arrival (11:30 am) and were delighted to be able to check into our Park Suite straight away to have a much-needed shower after our long-haul flight. Park SuiteAnd so, to that wonderful Park Suite (130 square metres). Entry is past the guest powder room and into a spacious lounge with plentiful seating options and a large desk, although strangely no dining table. Our favourite lounging option was the chaise longue recessed into a corner by the window - great for watching the clouds go by!
The bedroom was again spacious and really highlighted the typical Park Hyatt mix of materials. Not only was there marble, wood, soft furnishings and metal, but the wardrobe doors (and plenty of other surfaces throughout the hotel) are painted with 12 layers of self-healing paint. This is elastic, so if a surface gets scratched, it slowly heals itself. In addition, it gives a slightly sticky surface to everything (in a good way). A wall of wardrobe led to the large bathroom, well stocked with Aromatherapy Associates goodies and a wonderful deep soaking tub (we loved the wooden rim).
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Park King RoomAlthough we stayed in a Park Suite, we asked to view a Park King. At approximately 60 square metres, the standard rooms at this property are the largest in the city. Interestingly, the Park Hyatt is also the only hotel in the city with drinkable tap-water.
The Park rooms are well equipped with a reasonable size desk, chaise longue and Nespresso machine. The large bathroom, complete with soaking tub and wet-room style shower, has a TV in the mirror and a large walk-in wardrobe. A separate room houses the Toto washlet, the lid of which raises automatically when you approach! All rooms in the hotel have a view (as long as it's not too cloudy) and have day blinds and black-out blinds electronically controlled by a panel near the bedside. Although the lighting is a little difficult to work out at first, we soon came to appreciate the many different options available and the dimmer function for most lights. Although we loved our Park Suite, the standard room would be very good for a short stay or for a single traveller. DiningThe Park Hyatt has a range of dining options. However, partly due to jetlag, we decided to eat room service both nights. This was good quality and value (especially with the dining credit we received for booking through Virtuoso). We especially enjoyed the pot stickers - small gyozo style dumplings, crispy on the outside and full of vegetables and meat on the inside.
Breakfast was wonderful - fantastic choice and again good quality. With a choice of Western, Chinese or Japanese specialties, we had no need to eat again until dinner. Having been disappointed previously with the food at the Grand Hyatt Beijing, we were really pleased that the food in PH Shanghai was so good. We were honoured to be treated to a tea ceremony by the hotel - a surprise at the end of our hotel tour. The green tea, picked high on the mountain-side, was the best we have ever had and really developed through the 3 uses of the leaves. With a tea-master presiding over ceremonies, this was a special experience that we heartily recommend. LeisureThe hotel features an infinity pool and jacuzzi on the 85th floor, with fantastic views over the city. We liked the relaxed seating around the outside of the pool, and it was a real treat to soak our jet-lagged limbs in the warm waters of the jacuzzi. For us, the pool was a little cold, but presumably this is ideal for lap swimmers who are exercising, rather than those who are just relaxing.
The locker rooms were impressive with everything you may need and were well maintained. In the quiet area outside the changing rooms were comfortable rocking chairs and a courtyard area where complimentary Tai Chi sessions are held every morning. Unfortunately, we were unable to take part in these, but we look forward to trying them next time. The gym in the hotel is reasonably well equipped - a few treadmills, bikes, cross-trainers and resistance area. We were impressed by the service offered - as soon as we arrived, an attendant offered us a towel and water, and there were sanitised earphones available. The only thing missing was chilled towels. |
Overall Impression
Many may not agree with us, but we enjoyed staying at the Park Hyatt Shanghai more than at Park Hyatt Tokyo. It is impossible not to draw comparisons between them, but for us the main difference was in the friendliness of the staff. We had perfect service in both hotels, but Shanghai staff were warmer and seemed more genuine.
Although we have seen some comments about the corridors in the hotel being too dark, the decor really appealed to us. We love the use of contrasting materials and everything we saw was in good condition. The rooms are large and well equipped, and the spa facilities top notch. Dining in restaurants looked a little expensive, but room service was reasonably priced and breakfast was fantastic.
Shanghai itself is a vibrant city, which we recommend for a 3-night stopover, to take advantage of visa-free travel. We look forward to returning to the Park Hyatt Shanghai on a future trip, and hope to sample their Sunday champagne brunch and take part in Tai Chi. We would recommend booking the hotel either through AMEX FHR or Virtuoso, especially if you are not a diamond member of Hyatt Gold Passport. However, also watch out for frequent offers on the hotels' webpage, such as 3-for-2.
Although we have seen some comments about the corridors in the hotel being too dark, the decor really appealed to us. We love the use of contrasting materials and everything we saw was in good condition. The rooms are large and well equipped, and the spa facilities top notch. Dining in restaurants looked a little expensive, but room service was reasonably priced and breakfast was fantastic.
Shanghai itself is a vibrant city, which we recommend for a 3-night stopover, to take advantage of visa-free travel. We look forward to returning to the Park Hyatt Shanghai on a future trip, and hope to sample their Sunday champagne brunch and take part in Tai Chi. We would recommend booking the hotel either through AMEX FHR or Virtuoso, especially if you are not a diamond member of Hyatt Gold Passport. However, also watch out for frequent offers on the hotels' webpage, such as 3-for-2.