For me, the hotel is alllllll about the view, the comfort and the location. I’m not asking for much, but on a special occasion I do love a luxury stay, and to balance it out I’ll hostel it up once in a while.
Shanghai makes this easy because the city is basically made up of a handful of very distinct neighborhoods, each with its own personality. Stay in the wrong one and you’ll spend half your trip on the metro. Stay in the right one and everything you actually want to see is a short walk away.
In this guide I’m breaking down the best areas to stay in Shanghai and dropping in my top hotel picks for each one, from rooftop bougie to rock-bottom budget, depending on how much you’re willing to spend. If you’re mapping out the rest of the trip too, check out my 10 Day China Itinerary for how I’d string it all together.
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Where to Stay in Shanghai
I’ve now stayed across pretty much every major pocket of this city, and the areas really do feel like different worlds. Pudong is where you go for the skyline and the five-star treatment — it’s a bit removed from the old-school charm, but the views make up for it. The Bund side is where I’d send anyone who wants that classic Shanghai postcard moment right outside their hotel door.
If you want something a bit more low-key, People’s Square and the French Concession are where I’d point you. Less towering hotel lobby, more neighborhood cafés and a slower pace. I’m fully aware there are hundreds of other hotels in this city, so this is just my honest take based on where I’ve actually stayed.
Best Areas to Stay in Shanghai
Pudong
Pudong is the futuristic side of the river — this is where the skyscrapers you’ve seen in every Shanghai photo actually live. It’s polished, a little removed from the old town, and packed with five-star hotels that trade on the view. If you want to wake up looking at the skyline, this is your area.
The Bund
The Bund is the historic waterfront strip, all colonial-era architecture facing off against Pudong’s skyline across the river. It’s central, it’s touristy, and it’s genuinely one of the best places to base yourself if you want rooftop bars and photo spots within stumbling distance of your hotel.
People’s Square / Nanjing Road
This is the beating heart of the city — the metro hub, the shopping strip, the pedestrian street packed with lights at night. It’s not the prettiest pocket of Shanghai, but it’s ridiculously convenient if you want to be near everything without paying Bund prices.
French Concession
The French Concession is the leafy, slower-paced side of Shanghai, all tree-lined streets, boutique cafés and a totally different vibe from the high-rises elsewhere. If you want a neighborhood feel rather than a big-hotel-lobby feel, this is where I’d send you.
1. Best Hotels in Pudong
Pudong Shangri-La
I stayed here over my birthday, which happened to land the same week as Christmas, so I got the full bonus round: free cake, decorations, and Christmas trees as far as the eye could see. This hotel is a genuine dream in an unbeatable location, and I’d check back in tomorrow if I could. Think “The Plaza at Christmas” energy from Home Alone, if you need a visual.
Book here: Pudong Shangri-La
Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Honestly, I could live inside this hotel. The spa alone is worth the stay — sauna, steam room, cold plunge, bath house, and that’s before you even get to the pool. I take a breakfast buffet very seriously and this one did not disappoint. You’ll probably recognize the building too, since the Jin Mao Tower has made a cameo in the Mission Impossible movies and is one of the most iconic silhouettes on the Shanghai skyline. The interior lives up to the tower’s reputation, but I’ll let you see that for yourself.
Book here: Grand Hyatt Shanghai
Novotel Shanghai Atlantis
You can’t go wrong with a Novotel, especially this one. 50 floors up in the sky, this one has views that you would normally pay a premium for, however it’s a little out of the city center. Which is probably a good thing every once in a while. Every standard room has a fabulous view – can’t go wrong.
Book Here: Novotel Shanghai Atlantis
2. Best Hotels on The Bund
W Hotel
You walk in and you don’t have to guess the vibe — it’s fun, quirky, and vibrant from the lobby onward. If the classic five-star hotels feel a bit stiff for your taste, this is your pick, and the rooftop bar alone is worth the room rate. My favorite part is stepping out onto the North Bund gardens side, which is a peaceful contrast to the busier Nanjing Road end of things.
Book here: W Hotel Shanghai
Metropolo Classic
The exterior on this one looks like it belongs in a movie — think Gotham City chic. It’s a stone’s throw from the Bund, which makes it the ideal base for every photo spot, café, brunch stop, and rooftop bar Shanghai has to offer.
Book Here: Metropolo Classic
Shanghai Zighouse The Bund Homestay
If you want to actually live in Shanghai for a few days rather than just visit it, book this one. It’s an apartment inside a century-old building right on the Suzhou River, a couple of minutes from Waibaidu Bridge and the Bund, and it comes with an incredible view for a genuinely bargain price. There’s a proper kitchen too, rice cooker, utensils, even seasonings, so you can pretend to cook like a local instead of eating out for every single meal. It sleeps up to 4, which makes it a brilliant option for friends or family splitting a room instead of booking separate hotel rooms. An evening walk along the Suzhou River right outside your door is such an underrated way to end the day.
Book here: Shanghai Zighouse The Bund Homestay
Campanile The Bund
I loved this location, a good walk to yugarden and the bund but not too central to be noisy. No frills, but clean, well-located and honestly the smarter move if you’d rather spend on dumplings than décor.
Book here: Camapanile The Bund
3. Best Hotels Near People’s Square & Nanjing Road
Radisson Blu New World Shanghai
Sitting on top of the peoples square metro this location is ideal for all the Shanghai highlights and quick getaway to any highspeed railway station or airport. Bonus points for the rotating restaurant on top that’s a genuinely fun novelty for one night even if you’re not staying long.
Book here: Radisson Blu New World Shanghai
Crowne Plaza Nanjing Road
A very chinese decor type hotel that is somewhat outdated but you are paying for the location. Somewhat hidden amongst the chaos of the Nanjing road pedestrian street. It’s central, comfortable, no surprises — a two-minute stumble from People’s Square and the main shopping strip. This is the one to book when you just want to switch your brain off and know exactly what you’re getting.
Book here: Crowne Plaza Nanjing Road
4. Best Hotels in the French Concession
HanTing HuaiHuai Road
One of China’s most dependable budget chains, dropped right into the leafy former French Concession — cafés and boutiques on your doorstep for a fraction of what you’d pay to stay in this neighbourhood otherwise. Always an absolutely bargain but beware of the smoke.
Book here: HanTing HuaiHuai Road
Okura Garden hotel Shanghai
If you want a proper hotel experience right on Huaihai Road itself, this is the one. It’s a genuinely historic property, built in the 1920s as the French Club, and it still has that old Art Deco charm mixed with a huge, 30,000-square-metre garden that feels like a different world once you’re inside the gates. You’re a few minutes’ walk from the Huaihai Road shopping strip and Shaanxi South Road metro, but far enough back from the street that it’s properly quiet. The breakfast spread and the garden view rooms are both worth asking for.
Book here: Okura Garden Hotel Shanghai
FAQs About the Best Places to Stay in Shanghai
Where should first-timers stay in Shanghai?
If it’s your first visit, I’d base yourself around the Bund or People’s Square. Both put you within easy reach of the main sights, and you can always take a day trip over to Pudong for the skyline views without needing to relocate.
What’s the best area for the skyline views?
Pudong, hands down. That’s where the towers actually are, and the higher up your room, the better the payoff.
Where to stay in Shanghai on a budget?
The French Concession and the areas around Nanjing Road/the Bund both have solid budget options — HanTing HuaiHai Road and Hi Cozy International Hostel are two I’d genuinely recommend and have stayed at myself.
Is Shanghai walkable without a car?
You won’t need a car at all. The metro is fast, cheap, and covers the whole city, and most of the areas in this guide are very walkable once you’re there.
Final Thoughts on Staying in Shanghai
Shanghai is one of those cities where where you sleep really does shape your whole trip, simply because the neighborhoods are so different from each other. Pudong for the skyline, the Bund for the postcard views, People’s Square for convenience, and the French Concession if you want a slower pace. Hopefully this gives you a clearer picture of where to base yourself for your trip.
For everything else you need to know before your first trip, check out my China First-Timer Guide, and for a full breakdown of what to do once you’ve checked in, take a look at my Shanghai Travel Guide.
Where to Next? Your China City Guides
To help you decide your next Chinese adventure, I’ve written detailed guides for every city I’ve loved (and hated) from my own archives — where to stay, the best hotels, top things to do, and 3-day itineraries. Check them out below.
