Shanghai Skiline World Union Service Apartment — Hotel in Shanghai

I quite liked the idea of a "serviced apartment" as it seemed to have many features you usually have in a hotel -such as housekeeping-yet you usually pay less than in a hotel so if you're planning to stay in town a long time this option was worth considering. Having spent 5 weeks on the 19th floor of Skiline companys room (I prefer not to call it an apartment) I still like the idea though not as much as before. I booked a category C room which according to their website should be 50m2 but in reality is somewhat less than that (not entirely sure what is included in the room size according to the Chinese). Basically the room had everything you need: a decent bed, sofa, dining table&chairs, tv, internet, fridge, microwave oven, cooker, electric kettle and a washing machine which the nice cleaning lady washed my clothes for free whenever needed. I did a lot of groceries and usually prepared my own breakfasts, sometimes even lunches there. ||The location was perfect for me as I studied Mandarin in a school 5 min from the apartment. The Jing'an Temple metro station (on Metro line 2) was also 5 min away so it took 15 min to The Bund, 30 min to the Longyang Rd station (where the Maglev leaves for Pudong airport) and 30 min to Hongqiao Airport. ||Ok, now the bad news: the room and the actual World Union building are in a pretty bad shape. I suppose quite many tall Shanghai buildings are in similar condition. Whenever it rained (quite often), the windowsill had ponds of water on it and I mean inside the room. The room was on the 19th floor but you could hear the traffic and all sorts of other noises night and day clearly through the apparently quite thin windows. Everything in the room worked ok but the toilet and most of the furniture were terribly worn out. The burner in the kitchenette didn't work at all but when I complained I got a brand new and very efficient one from the office. The wi-fi in the room was ok apart from the evenings when it was almost impossible to do anything online. ||The housekeeping came by 3 times a week but I'm afraid they didn't do a very good job . A quick look under the sofa or bed and you could tell by the amount of dust and other debris that these spots had not been touched by any cleaning device in a very very long time. Lots of dust in other parts of the room as well. Didn't see any bugs nor any other insects during my whole stay though! I didnt really have problems with noisy neighbors but the corridor outside the room reeked of cigarette smoke and old carpets. ||The office staff were very nice and helpful - prepare to pay your whole rent when checking in, or within a couple of days. There's a guard in the 1st floor lobby the whole time and especially the night guard always greeted with me with a smile! ||I'll definitely go to Shanghai again and might even think of staying in an serviced apartment but not in...

Some of the positive reviews here must have come from travelers who either had an unusually quiet room and quiet neighbors, or don't need more than 3-4 hours of sleep every night. Because what good is the location (which is this establishment's strong point) if you cannot get enough rest to be able to explore the city from that location. ||||I stayed here for two months a couple of years ago. So even though the review might seem a little outdated, it's still very applicable, as every building in China gets worse with time, not better. What I remember the most is that I changed rooms 3 times, solely due to noise issues. Take a look at the videos and photos and judge for yourself.||||As others have mentioned, the room facilities are ok. A relatively comfortable bed, a sofa and coffee table, a dining table, a washing machine, a small kitchenette. Internet/wifi was ok for China, but the speed would drop hugely when accessing foreign sites (this is due to GFW throttling). Hot water in the shower was good enough, though the old bathroom fixtures need basically replacing. I can't comment on the heating/AC, as I stayed in October-November. ||||One letdown is the lack of a fitness center. There is a gym at the building next door, but when I checked they were charging rates as if they are the one and only gym in Shanghai.||||Now for the negatives: ||a) There were major renovations of rooms going on in at least 3-4 floors. If you happen to be within 2-3 floors up or down, you can forget about resting. Renovations in China start at 8 am or earlier sometimes and yes, even on weekends (see photo and video). ||b) Noisy neighbors, I have to say, usually Chinese neighbors (see video).||c) Furniture design flaw, with chairs being constantly dragged on the wooden floor, resulting in annoying sounds to the people staying below (see photo and video).||d) Trucks picking up garbage from the building next door at 12-1 am (see photo and video).||e) General traffic noise from the busy street below, no matter what floor you're on (non-existent sound insulation).||f) A package from overseas was lost, even though I had given Skiline's office room number and telephone. When I saw how they deliver mail to the building, I wasn't surprised (see photo).||||Obviously, and to be fair, these issues affect the entire building, not just Skiline. So no matter which operator you choose (there are 3-4 in this building), you're likely to...

We were satisfied with our one week stay in this apartment. Don't be discourage when you enter the building and the room. This is not a trendy and new place. But you don't stay there for the building. You stay there for the great location, helpful and friendly staff. Room is spacious with fridge, stove, microwave, coffee maker and washer. ||First night there was a problem. We could not sleep. The double bed and the sofa bed are so hard. By 2:30AM we put the mattress of the sofa bed on top of the double bed. It worked. Next day we asked for an extra comforter to add more cushion on the bed. We also folded the sofa bed and we got more space. From then on room worked perfectly fine. As days went by, we came to like the room more and more.||Great fast free WIFI in room, it has a water fountain cost 25 Yuan for a big container of water. Pots are old but you can bring cooked food in room or eat outside. Lots of eateries nearby. There are 4 restaurants in front of apartment, your landmark when you're looking for the entrance to the building when you first arrive.||Location is great. 5-10 minutes walk to metro and bus stops. Metro Line 2 from Airport to Jing'an Temple or to Pudong Airport. 15 minute walk to Airport bus terminal near Jing'an Temple ( bus #2 from and to Pudong Airport for 22 Yuan each way).||Entrance to apartment is at Yuyuan Branch Rd. (not Yuyuan Rd or Wulumuqi Rd(their St. address). Reception is on the 19th floor.||Lots of groceries and a supermarket nearby.||Evelyn and Weston are always there ready to help even with their limited English. We don't speak Chinese either. Cleaning crew are honest.||Price is very reasonable.||Check in and check out is fast no problem. They have 24 hour reception. There is security in the building.||I will stay again in Skiline apartment when I go back...