Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund — Hotel in Shanghai

The way the hotel manager operates the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund is akin to a dishonest egg seller in a wet market. One asked for egg A but is given egg B, C and D but not A. I have booked a Panorama Riverside Retreat-King room but was told that the room is not ready at 12pm when we reached the hotel. At close to check-in time 3pm, I was offered a free room upgrade to a bigger room at the corner of the hotel with 270 degree view. Sounds good? We can in fact see only 45 degree view or less of the bund, the rest of view is surrounding buildings and trees. The room is warm and dry. I asked to change it back to the original room we booked but the front desk staff said it was not ready (at check-in time 3pm?). Another lady took over, I assumed she is the front desk manager. So, she offered a similar but better "upgraded room" with the view of the Oriental Pearl tower. The room is at the other corner of the hotel. The moment I stepped into the room, I felt extremely uncomfortable and there was no view of the bund, only trees. I wanted the view of the bund when I booked the room, not the Oriental Pearl Tower. It was a West facing room with direct sunlight shining through. Extremely warm and extremely unlivable. I requested to change it back to the original room. The lady staff told me to remain in the room until the original room is ready. In the meantime, the manager showed me another room that she claimed is smaller but reserved for a guest (with two single beds). I stepped into the room, my, isn't this the room type that I have booked? Bund view minus the king size bed. Why is it that the room has been secured for the guest who has not turned up at 3.30pm but our room is not ready and reserved for us at 3pm? The manager kept trying to convince me that the room is small and the upgraded room is bigger. I told her it didn't matter if the room is small as long as I can see the view of the bund. So, we waited until around 4.20pm in the hot and sunny corner room as suggested. We suspected that the staff or manager is not going to change the room for us. So, I went to the front desk again and this time is a male staff who helped looked through the room options and finally allocated a room that he claimed again is an upgraded room but smaller than the corner rooms. I have to keep emphasise that all I want is the view of the bund, room size is secondary and I already know the size at time of booking. How small can a Banyan Tree hotel room be anyway? By the way, the room we booked is still not ready at 4.30pm and was told they still need half an hour. So, after wasting an entire afternoon with the front desk manager, having paid for our room, we eventually got a room with the bund view and the oriental pearl tower. Why do the hotel front desk people want to make guests go through the hassles. I had headache after going through this episode of rooms viewing. Imagine viewing 4 rooms in one afternoon! Doesn't this sound like buying eggs from a dishonest egg seller in a wet market? The front desk manager and the team have lowered the image of the Banyan Tree, making it cheap and developing mistrust between the guests and the brand.We have in fact travelled close to 3 hours from the Hangzhou Banyan Tree to the one in Shanghai, only to find the huge contrast in hospitality standards. I gave Hangzhou Banyan Tree a 5/5 rating. The Shanghai on the bund Banyan Tree is a 2/5 rating. 2 stars are for the helpful and friendly staffs working on the ground and room service.The Front desk manager is grooming a team of liars, it is very damaging to the Banyan Tree brand.No use apologising after guests gave negative comments. Please do...

Great views does not necessarily correlate to great service...

After reading wonderful reviews about Banyan Tree, we were very excited to stay here and end our vacation on a strong note. Unfortunately, the service (rather, lack there of) ruined this simple expectation.

We like our privacy in our hotel rooms and also keep it tidy and clean ourselves - therefore we do not ask for housekeeping. That was no exception during our stay here. On 3 separate occasions we explicitly asked for them to not make up our room (we turned on Do Not Disturb each time we left the room). On 3 separate occasions, our requests were ignored. In my lens, it’s the principle. Given the price tag of the hotel, If we ask for something, shouldn’t the hotel honor that? At that point, why even provide an option for housekeeping?

At other hotels we have stayed (Mandarin Oriental, Conrad Beijing) the greeters were ready outside each time to help open cab doors, lobby doors with warm smiles despite the frigid weather. Here, every single time we got out of our cab rides or walked back from a trip out, the “greeters” (note that the hotel calls them “security” though I would not trust these people to help me if I were in harm’s way given their nonchalant attitudes) stood right inside of the lobby doors staring at us - while wearing their down jackets. No greeting whatsoever. Just looked at us like we were unworthy of their time.

There is currently construction happening right outside a direct pathway leading to the hotel. It’s the most efficient way of arriving to the hotel, either by walking or driving. On our first night back from exploring, we took the route that Baidu Maps recommended only to unfortunately be led through the muddy path that also happened to be closed off due to the construction. We only realized this halfway through the walk, sadly. Upon arrival to the hotel, we inquired with concierge about this and were met with a, “Oh yeah. I take this walk every day from the subway and know there’s construction going on. Sorry that is unfortunate.” If this staff member knew of closure, why didn’t he speak up and make sure that there was a memo out to visitors? Not everyone staying at Banyan is a local... instead we trekked wet mud not realizing that it’s closed only to receive a message that the hotel clearly doesn’t care from staff that is ill-trained.

With the high cost, I expected more from the service. We brought up these concerns to the hotel “management” who, by the way, was on vacation, so they directed us to lobby management. Their answers were, “Sorry. Nothing we can do about this.” This was a very disappointing experience and needless to say, we will never be staying here again nor will we recommend this hotel chain to any of our...

Once upon a recent stay at the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund, I embarked on a journey not just to the bustling heart of China but into a whimsical world where the hotel seemed as surprised by my arrival as a cat discovering its own tail, despite my shining Diamond status— the highest accolade in the realm of guest royalty. This status, usually accompanied by the heralding of fruits and sweets, was conspicuously uncelebrated, leaving a void that no amount of philosophical musings on temperature could fill.

Communicating with the concierge team beforehand was like engaging in a game of intercontinental ping-pong, where my simple requests (like a list of restaurant recommendations) bounced back and forth, ultimately disappearing into the abyss without a trace. The staff’s command of English proved to be as elusive as a unicorn in downtown Shanghai, turning every conversation into a thrilling adventure of guesswork and charades.

The pièce de résistance, however, was my room’s air conditioning system, which seemed to be on a personal quest to recreate the Sahara Desert rather than provide any form of respite from Shanghai’s swelter. When I highlighted the tropical conditions of my room, complete with photographic evidence and a live demonstration of the air vent’s reluctance to perform, I was enlightened with a philosophical musing on the subjective nature of temperature perception. It was a revelation that perhaps, in the Banyan universe, comfort is merely a state of mind.

My quest for cooler climes led me to a new chamber, where the air conditioner roared with the ferocity of a street-side symphony, ensuring that sleep remained an elusive dream just beyond reach. Meanwhile, the breakfast buffet seemed to have taken inspiration from the hotel’s overall approach to hospitality—aiming for mediocrity with surprising success.

Set adrift in the less vibrant quarters of Shanghai, the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund stands as a solemn sentinel in a land where excitement and activity have yet to lay their claim. This stark oasis, far removed from the city’s pulsating attractions, offers an unparalleled view that serves as a breathtaking reminder of the distance between where you are and where you might rather be.

In summary, the Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund is the perfect choice for those who find joy in the unexpected challenges of travel, possess a penchant for philosophical debates on the nature of comfort, and cherish views that remind them of the adventures that lie just out of reach— all while pondering the mystery of the missing welcome amenities that should have celebrated their Diamond...