The Westin Bund Center Shanghai — Hotel in Shanghai

Super super super Disappointing Stay at The Westin Bund Shanghai — Far Below 5-Star Standards

I recently stayed at The Westin Bund Shanghai and had one of the most disappointing hotel experiences in recent years. For a property branded as a five-star hotel, the service, facilities, and overall guest experience fell drastically short. Here’s a detailed account:

Overpriced, Underwhelming Breakfast

Breakfast cost 350 RMB per person, yet the selection was limited and uninspired—no local delicacies like soup dumplings. It genuinely felt like a “refugee meal” experience. In contrast, at Andaz, the variety was much better and food like noodles and coffee was brought to the table. At Westin, everything was self-service, chaotic, and even the coffee cups had run out.

Poor Service and Reservation Confusion

I booked through Amex, expecting standard benefits, but the hotel claimed the reservation showed up as Expedia, offering no Amex perks. Despite showing my Amex booking, the front desk insisted it was a third-party reservation. The lack of coordination and professionalism was frustrating.

No Welcome, No Help with Luggage

Upon arrival, no staff came to greet us, open doors, or offer help with luggage. I had to leave my child, walk in myself, and find someone to assist—something unthinkable at any proper five-star hotel. In contrast, Andaz where I previously stayed had someone at the car the moment we arrived.

Outdated Facilities and Ridiculous Charges • Extra bed cost 300 RMB, while it was free at Andaz. • Room hairdryer felt ancient; bathroom had an odd stink smell. • Apart from the decent location, nothing felt five-star. • Even basic hygiene details were lacking: they only provided a tiny “mini pocket” for female sanitary waste disposal—completely impractical and inconsiderate.

Inflexible and Arrogant Attitude • They refused to add the extra bed until I physically signed a document at the front desk—even though they already held a 1,000 RMB deposit and had my credit card on file. • Staff were consistently snobbish and unhelpful—as if they were stuck in a state-owned enterprise mindset rather than an international hotel chain.

Terrible Handling of Food Delivery • Ordered Meituan delivery, sat in the lobby to eat, and were chased away by staff saying it’s a “paid consumption area” despite I ordered coffee from the hotel. • Later, a staff member demanded we take our trash away ourselves, I asks where are the trash bins, the staff claimed that the hotel has no trash bins for outside food waste. Absolutely ridiculous for any hospitality business.

Hidden, Inconvenient Pickup Location • The pickup spot for food delivery was in a dark, hidden alley outside the hotel. I had to go there myself to fetch basic essentials. No assistance was provided whatsoever.

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It’s shocking to encounter this level of disorganization and arrogance in such a cosmopolitan, efficient city like Shanghai. The hotel feels like a hollow shell of luxury with no warmth, hospitality, or modern service to back it up.

If you’re used to modern, thoughtful, internationally-aligned service—I strongly advise against staying at The Westin Bund Shanghai. This was a deeply disappointing and...

My stay at the Westin Hotel Shanghai left me deeply disappointed. As a platinum member, I arrived with high expectations, only to encounter a series of mishaps that overshadowed what was meant to be a memorable family trip for my party of eight, including two toddlers.

The first letdown came when the hotel failed to execute a reservation change despite confirming it via email. While this caused a minor inconvenience during lunch plans, it hinted at a lack of attention to detail that would foreshadow further issues.

The most significant incident occurred when seeking guidance from the concierge regarding our Disneyland visit. Despite proactively reaching out to the concierge the night prior, we were dismayed to receive misguided advice that led to wasted time, lost expenses, considerable effort, and frustrating detours. What compounded our disappointment was the lack of assistance and accountability from the staff, particularly from Anna, a senior member of the team. Despite her initial assurance to address the issue, she failed to follow through on her commitment. To exacerbate matters, upon our return to the hotel, Anna conveyed that she would personally engage with us to resolve the situation. However, our encounter in the business lounge lasted a mere 3-5 minutes before we were left waiting expectantly for her return, only to be met with prolonged silence. This egregious lack of follow-up and accountability left us feeling utterly abandoned and exacerbated our already palpable frustration.

The service standards fell short of what one would expect from a five-star establishment. Inaccurate information from the concierge, a lack of basic courtesies from the doorman, and the noticeable neglect of the premises were glaring disappointments.

In addition, this is probably the first Marriott in five years I have stayed in that does not respond to “Chat with us” service. Even my stays at lesser Marriott brands have responses. Do not rely on having someone respond to you on the app.

Adding to the frustration was the smell of cigarette smoke near my room, highlighting a general lack of maintenance and upkeep throughout the hotel.

However, amidst these disappointments, there were a few commendable moments. Daisy’s exceptional assistance during check-in, the helpful dining recommendations from the lounge staff, Hannah for swiftly handling my reservation prior to arrival, and the efficient parcel handling by the concierge team stood out amidst an otherwise lackluster experience.

Probably once deserving of its five-star rating, Westin Bund now falls short of that standard. As a platinum member, I expected better service and attention to detail, particularly when traveling with my family. Unfortunately, it is at best a business hotel today, and even then, I would advise other Marriott options unless truly necessary.

I hope this review reaches the general manager’s attention and prompts the necessary improvements to restore the hotel’s reputation and regain the trust of its guests and...

Firstly do not mistake the building with the crown for the hotel as it is an office building, the hotels are two blocks adjacent to it.

So the photos of the hotel are misleading as it shows the office building rather than the actual hotel blocks on both sides of it. Views were not good from Crown tower as you look into the other block and the crown office block.

The positives is that it’s walking distance from the Bund and where ever you are in the city, you can find your own au back to the hotel by locating the crown.

The Crown tower does not have Bund Views! The grand tower might but did not stay in it.

Check in was slow- took forever to sort a room out. 2217, studio room with living, bedroom and bathroom, the living and bathroom was a good size but bedroom smaller.

Interior somewhat aged and fashioned from the noughties so looked dated especially the carpets design and finishing. It’s probably the hotel to go for it you like location rather then interior. Bed was good and so was the pillows. Simple to Use master light switch next to bed. There was noise from exterior heard even on the 21st floor.

Toiletries amenities was good. The shower was a mixer which unfortunately was too cold or too hot as you had to switch it off so could never remember the temperature mix setting for the next shower. There is a turn down service at night.

The view from the disappointing as it was right view of large crown tower, straight on view of the grand tower and left view of the city. So only 1/3 view had a reasonable views so must suggestion is that the crown rooms are not the best.

Breakfast had a vast selection of food and drinks. I had the pomegranate juice on the first morning but unfortunately not on the second- was fresh juice. The dumplings was unfortunately dried out and stuck to the display dish so was damaged when taked. The noodle bar was good- made a selection of noodles, good fruit selection too. The congee station was good with multiple additional accompaniment for it so made a rather amazing dish. Coffee to take away was also on offer.

Gym was massive on the 3rd floor for cardio and 4 th for weight but the weight machines were aged and was the old generation machines- need modernisation.the opening times are 24 hours which is a bonus.

The swimming pool which opens 8-8, was great with wonderful views of Pudong. The jacuzzi was also very nice but the lifeguards do not enforce the under 16 year old should not be on the jacuzzi with two children of Chinese origin in there- it’s a poor sign when you have signs and do not enforce the rules. Also life guards look so board the male one was having a snooze whilst I was swimming.

Service was general average, the staff could had better...