Salvo Hotel Shanghai

I’d decided long ago (Krakow- February ’06) that I’d had enough of hostels. That didn’t mean I wanted to spend a ton of cash on a hotel. Then I traveled in China. Two lackluster (and sometimes less-than-clean) hotels in Xi’An and Chengdu, I figured I’d shell out the few extra Yuan for some nice digs. Using the internet, I found the Salvo Hotel. According to the site, it had all the stars I was looking for at a price I was willing to pay. It was supposed to be near the river, therefore near The Bund and Pudong, and not too far from the airport.

Correct on all points.

My initial impression of the hotel wasn’t that good. When the car pulled up to the entrance, I was disconcerted because the exterior was bland and there was no sign. Then the concierge came out to take my bags, and I immediately felt better. Inside, I knew I was getting the stars that had been advertised. The women at the front desk were friendly, helpful and spoke good English. After checking in, the concierge brought my bags up to the room, showed me the keycard slot for electricity by the door, then turned the TV on for me.

The suite was fabulous. It was spacious, well-decorated (not kitschy or crowded, but tasteful and warm). The sitting area had a mini-bar, a TV with mini-fridge underneath, a desk with desktop computer (with Windows options in English and Chinese) and a sofa. The bedroom held a king-size bed, another TV and general light control switch. The bathroom was normal, except for the separated triangle tub and shower. Very comfortable for my 3-night stay in Shanghai.

There are three restaurants in the hotel- Chinese, Japanese, and Western. The Chinese restaurant is situated on the 3rd floor, serving Shanghai/Cantonese food. The menu was large, the food was great, and since I’d gone on Dragon Boat Festival day, I got a free zong zi. An extra special touch that went on the Why this place is getting 5 stars list. I didn’t try the Japanese restaurant, but the Western one was less than stellar. The French Onion soup was plain, the melon and Iberica ham was delectable though, and the tiramisu was obviously frozen. Too much money for too mediocre food.

Checking out was a breeze since I hadn’t taken anything from the mini-bar. Swift, efficient, and they asked the concierge to arrange a taxi to the airport for me. No problems there.

When in Shanghai, I do recommend this hotel. For the price, you get a lot of comfort and convenience. Located on Guangdong Dong Lu, it’s only 10 minutes to The Bund, 20 to Pudong and 10-15 to Nanjing Lu.