Sofitel Sheshan Oriental Hotel — Hotel in Shanghai

This is a strange place to review as there are some highs and some lows. I think if the room rate wasn't on the high side and if the hotel wasn't billed as a 5-star hotel, it would have got an average rating.||||First the good.||||Check-in was smooth and the reception team very helpful.||The room was well appointed (if a little dated) and comfortable. ||The swimming pool was nice, as was the sandy area around it. My little boy loved it. There was a fountain area though that was still accessible to guests but which looked derelict.||The breakfast buffet had enough choice for a good breakfast.||Pizzas were pretty good which is a good job as there isn't much else.||||OK, now not so good.||||The F&B offer of this hotel is a disaster. On the first night, we went to the all-day restaurant and were told that most of the menu was not available. This included fried rice and noodles in a Chinese hotel in Shanghai. Also told french fries not available. When challenged the staff member told us it was because this was a very busy time for the restaurant. It was less than a 3rd full at 5.30pm on a Saturday evening.||||The food that was available was poor and overpriced. For the rest of our stay, we either ate at a nearby mall or ordered in from Ele.me. We found that lots of people were having takeaway delivered to the hotel. In itself this isn't a bad thing but not at a '5-star' resort.||||The Japanese restaurant was closed for the entire time of our stay.||||There is no tea and coffee making facility in the room and the hotel charged almost 60RMB for a small cup of black coffee in the lobby.||||If you want to use the kids' soft play area there is an additional charge of almost 200RMB for 2 hours.||||Most of the TV channels in the room didn't work.||||Smoking. Despite being on a supposedly 'no smoking' floor, there were several rooms close to ours that had their door wide open and people smoking in the room. Twice at breakfast, there was a table of guys staying at the hotel for a conference who were smoking away (sat under a no smoking sign!) at their table. Not one member of staff approached them about this. Again, this happens when you travel around China but is not expected at a '5-star' resort hotel in Shanghai.||||Overall we left disappointed. Had a great time playing in the pool and in the sand with my son but sad about the lack of dining experience and some of the details you expect a hotel at this level...

This is a strange place to review as there are some highs and some lows. I think if the room rate wasn't on the high side and if the hotel wasn't billed as a 5-star hotel, it would have got an average rating.||||First the good.||||Check-in was smooth and the reception team very helpful.||The room was well appointed (if a little dated) and comfortable. ||The swimming pool was nice, as was the sandy area around it. My little boy loved it. There was a fountain area though that was still accessible to guests but which looked derelict.||The breakfast buffet had enough choice for a good breakfast.||Pizzas were pretty good which is a good job as there isn't much else.||||OK, now not so good.||||The F&B offer of this hotel is a disaster. On the first night, we went to the all-day restaurant and were told that most of the menu was not available. This included fried rice and noodles in a Chinese hotel in Shanghai. Also told french fries not available. When challenged the staff member told us it was because this was a very busy time for the restaurant. It was less than a 3rd full at 5.30pm on a Saturday evening.||||The food that was available was poor and overpriced. For the rest of our stay, we either ate at a nearby mall or ordered in from Ele.me. We found that lots of people were having takeaway delivered to the hotel. In itself this isn't a bad thing but not at a '5-star' resort.||||The Japanese restaurant was closed for the entire time of our stay.||||There is no tea and coffee making facility in the room and the hotel charged almost 60RMB for a small cup of black coffee in the lobby.||||If you want to use the kids' soft play area there is an additional charge of almost 200RMB for 2 hours.||||Most of the TV channels in the room didn't work.||||Smoking. Despite being on a supposedly 'no smoking' floor, there were several rooms close to ours that had their door wide open and people smoking in the room. Twice at breakfast, there was a table of guys staying at the hotel for a conference who were smoking away (sat under a no smoking sign!) at their table. Not one member of staff approached them about this. Again, this happens when you travel around China but is not expected at a '5-star' resort hotel in Shanghai.||||Overall we left disappointed. Had a great time playing in the pool and in the sand with my son but sad about the lack of dining experience and some of the details you expect a hotel at this level...

Good things first: First of all my daughter is 7 years old and was happy. This is important to me. The hotel offers a lot of activities and has a nice facility for little kids. Outdoor pool, kids club, and other activities but of course everything to be paid extra.I understand that it’s high season now. But still from a service, food and cleanliness standard the hotel is far away to be called a 5 star hotel. Considering Sofitel as a top premium brand for Accor then this hotel must be a big embarrassment for the quality manager of the hotel. We booked the Millesime club room. People had not much clue on upscale service - for example which glass to use for which drinks, they spoke very little English (I.e. couldn’t tell the guest where the egg station is or asked what do you need - to come across as impolite). The products used are the cheapest that you can find (cold cuts, cheeses, wines). There is no innovation when it comes to the food offered for breakfast- the same items on both days. The service was okay or even good on the locations where the hotel can make extra money. This is in the restaurant for booking the dinner buffet and in the kids club playground. But people lack big time training in the areas that is included in the price such as the gym, the lounge or the reception. The changing areas in the gymnasium was properly the worst I have ever seen. I wanted to go for an early swim and workout around 7.30 am and expected that it was cleaned by then. But to my surprise the floor was full of sand, there is a lot of water damages, it stinks in there. I even found a cigarette on the floor! Honestly it was disgusting. The hotel has a nice outdoor swimming pool but does not offer slippers in the room. Instead they offered some socks to walk in the pool? A bit surprising. My overall judgment is that the owner of the hotel is trying to make money without inves**ent in people, their training, hygiene with its proper use on chemicals, as well as some quality products. The picture shows the coffee cup they gave me to drink the soda water in the...