Courtyard By Marriott Shanghai — Hotel in Shanghai

This was the first hotel on a three week business trip to Asia, and chosen for brand, location to a degree (close to Hongqiao station and airport - both together), and in case of emergency assistance, although the latter thankfully not needed.||As Chinese taxis do not take MasterCard or Visa, choosing Ali or Union Pay or cash (RMB), I chose the hotel car to meet me in Pudong. Pre-booking this a while in advance was impossible via any type of booking form, and emails went unanswered. Trying to find a phone number was also difficult, but success in the end when I found the front desk number. This is where I noted the use and understanding of English was limited. Speaking to the front desk was hard, and eventually I confirmed everything by email to be sure. Granted, when I found someone with a good grasp of English and emailed back to confirm, I felt confident this would be OK. To their credit, the pick up was fine and delivered to the hotel. The hotel is 1 hr from Pudong Airport and only 10 minutes if you come in to Shanghai Hongqiao airport (from Beijing etc.), not long haul.||A Chinese taxi will cost about 350 RMB (£38) with the hotel at 550 RMB or £60. You decide, but at least the hotel charge to your room rather than Chinese taxi man not allowing you to take your luggage until he is paid.||Check in was fine, room very clean, good supply of daily bottled water, and mainly continental plugs, some 2-pin and some 3-pin but not UK, so take an adapter.||The a/c was a big issue, and being unable to get the room down to 20 C, asked for help from the front desk. I didn't expect to have to change rooms at 9.30 pm but faced with heat or comfort, I opted for comfort. Even moving rooms didn't totally fix the problem and I feel the master thermostat is set to 24 C so take it as that.||TV selection virtually all Chinese which is surprising for a western brand hotel in Shanghai. Shower and toilet all very clean and good with a good selection of wash items if needed. In room tea making facilities and a fridge did well to keep me hydrated.||The lobby doubled as the main meeting area, and although a selection of 2 and 4 seater areas, not a lot of places to sit if the occupancy exceeded 20 at any point. A coffee shop in the lobby does a small trade during the day. Personally I think there should be more options for food instead of relying on the restaurant (if open). The staff looked bored at all times.||The restaurant was busy in the morning as expected, and a lot of variety to choose from. Very helpful staff, sometimes too eager to take the plate, but as they got to know me (staying 5 nights) learnt what I like to drink (hot and cold) for breakfast and keen to ensure I was catered for at all times.||In the evenings unless there was a buffet or special event ( Seafood Friday), the restaurant was empty. I ate in the hotel in the evening on three occasions due to nothing else near by, and taxi rides away if you want to venture out. The menu is Asian on one side and Western on the other. The Asian food was well prepared and filling. The western aspect left a gap and was not enough if hungry. Being served together if you opted for starter and main, did make it a rush to eat both before they got cold etc. The salmon salad was lacking salmon (see picture) and more a salad with a salmon garnish. The burger is 'OK' and I'd have again in place of the pizza.||As the restaurant was so empty, the service lacked atmosphere, and food did take longer than expected to arrive. You'd have thought it would be fast based on chefs having little to do.||The music in the lobby/lounge was typical lounge fusion and certainly to my liking. It may not be everyone's favourite, but it kept me busy working in the lobby rather than in the solitary confines of my room.||Across the road from the hotel are a couple of local cafes, not really for westerners, and a couple of small grocery stores if you need beverages cheaper than the hotel.||There is a lot of building work near the hotel, not that it is noisy, but this is an area that is growing, but for the moment the streets are quiet, almost too quiet.||The location of the hotel does not lend itself to venture far with the nearest mall about 2 km walk. Maybe doesn't seem far, but take in 80% humidity and 33 C temperature and you soon melt if out too long. ||It is about 1.5 km from an exhibition centre, and at the end of Line 2 (green) East Xujing on the metro. The airport and train station is about 3 km from the hotel, but too far to walk and not user friendly if you tried either. Allow 15 minutes by taxi as the queue for the taxis to drop off and get through the front door (security screening at the train station as well as airport), and also the time of the day. Hongqiao station is vast and serves a lot of China. Trains run to time, and you need to book in advance. Ask me more if you want help on this.||A lot of the hotel staff are young and I expected a better grasp of English spoken and understood. Unless you have an app to translate, keep all conversations brief and to the point. Trying to ask why my laundry had been taken from my room when not ready was impossible. It returned when needed, but I hadn't completed the form etc. so trying to get them to understand my questions, I soon gave up. In the restaurant asking about portion size, I reverted to expanding hands in a circle as trying to ask if a dish was enough proved too much. ||Being a Marriott hotel I did expect a lot more westerners staying. For three days I was the only westerner, with everyone else of Asian character. Go back a few years and the balance would have been 95% western, 5% local. Now it's the opposite, which might be why the hotel staff have limited opportunity to practice spoken English.||Check out should have been easy, and in general it was. I asked for the invoice in RMB to do my expenses, but when it came through it was in GBP and not able to change. Although not the end of of the world, you need to work the fx rate to make it balance when accounting for the stay. Either I was not clear or they didn't listen.||The quirky point of the hotel are the little robots touring the hotel taking beverages and snacks to the rooms. They are 'dressed' as male and female and do take priority in the lifts. Very smart, and certainly the way forward, albeit at the expense of people not needed, when these little bots run 24/7 and don't need paying, only a charge here and there.||In terms of value for money, this was on par with others, and normal nightly rates you'd expect to pay in Shanghai, and for a Courtyard Marriott.||I would stay here again, but only if the English spoken improves. It did become frustrating at times.||Also being contained in a hotel with little to do if it's raining outside along with the heat. When there is more to do locally, maybe I'll consider returning.||A pool would certainly increase trade and justify a...

I stayed at this hotel for two days and was in Shanghai as a tourist. If you are visiting as a tourist and want to stay in city center then it may not be the most convenient option as it is quite far from the city center Closest metro station is East Xujing however it is almost 2 kms away which will take about 15-20 mins walk. Alternatively you can use taxi for around 15 CNY. In evening as it is a terminal station you will see a lot of scooter guys out there and after little negotiation they can drop you at hotel for 10 CNY too. Even inside east Xujing station you have to walk almost for 10 mins to reach train platforms so it is essentially a long walk from station to hotel. If you are willing to spend on taxi then instead of getting down at East Xujing station deboard or board at Hongqiao railway station metro station or Hongqiao airport metro station stops as walking is less there and you will get lots of taxi options. Regular taxi will be around 24-25 CNY from there (about 3 kms from hotel) but if you use Didi app then 17-20 CNY. Needless to stay that no Taxi or Scooter guys will be able to understand or even read English so always carry you hotel address written in Chinese.

I have stayed at other Courtyards and this hotel was by far the best in terms of room quality and staff service. The view from the room is not the best as it overlooks a truck parking on one side and a residential building on another. However the room has all the modern amenities including button operated curtains and night shade. TV has lots of channels including some English channels. Please watch CGTN channel if you want to know Chinese and world news in English. They also have English newspaper (Shanghai Daily) which is available near lobby. I would also recommend the breakfast as it has lots of options including both Chinese and Western. Breakfast is a little pricey but you can see what you are having instead of ordering from a Chinese menu in dark. Coffee is not very easy to get in China and if you have a taste of American coffee like I have, then nice American coffee is available in breakfast. However Dinner options are kind of limited and share most of the same Chinese options present in breakfast. It could be because Chinese cuisine is like that way. Lobby area is nice and some English music is played. Staff was quite eager to help and assist however just like rest of China most of them do not speak fluent English but can manage basic...

While my experience at the hotel was relatively short, there were a few aspects that stood out to me. Upon check-in, I had the pleasure of being assisted by a staff member named Krystal. She was incredibly polite and helpful, ensuring that my check-in process was smooth and efficient.||||However, I must address an issue that significantly impacted my stay - the room's temperature. Unfortunately, the room I was assigned to was extremely hot, making it difficult for me to get a good sleep. When I approached the hotel staff about this concern, they informed me that the entire hotel was equipped with central air conditioning and that they were unable to adjust the temperature in individual rooms. This was disappointing as the comfort of guests should be a top priority for any hotel.||||The inability to control the room's temperature effectively defeated the purpose of staying in a hotel, especially when one is seeking a restful sleep during a transit. The discomfort caused by the excessive heat left me feeling quite upset.||||Despite the issue with the room temperature, I must commend the staff, particularly Krystal, for their exceptional customer service. Their politeness and willingness to assist were commendable, and they made the check-in process pleasant and hassle-free. It is evident that the hotel takes pride in hiring staff who prioritize guest satisfaction.||||In conclusion, my stay at this hotel during my transit was overshadowed by the extreme heat in the room. While the staff, especially Krystal, were courteous and helpful, the lack of control over the room's temperature was a significant drawback. It is my hope that the hotel addresses this issue to ensure a more comfortable experience for...