Mandarin Oriental Pudong Shanghai

One of the best hotel stays I've had. The location is fantastic, spectacular views of the Bund and Huangpu river without the noise. The Club Mandarin room was spacious and luxurious, with a large round bathtub. The staff were welcoming and the club lounge and restaurants provided elegant dining experiences. Cannot fault the stay, highly recommend.

Every time we go on holiday, we always stay at 3 or 4 different hotels just to experience what each luxury property has to offer. For my birthday, we chose the Mandarin Oriental Pudong, and it was honestly one of the best decisions we have ever made. The hospitality here is truly world-class, and it is all down to the General Manager, Mr. Emil Leung, and his incredible team. Mr. Leung takes luxury to a whole new level with his constant presence and genuine, personal touch. Right from the moment we arrived at the front entrance, Mr. Li (the Director of Rooms) took amazing care of us and made sure everything was completely seamless. Our room was beautiful, spacious, and had a breathtaking view looking out over the Huangpu River and the Oriental Pearl Tower. Breakfast at Zest was lavish, with a huge variety of food, beautiful upscale presentation, and premium quality. I also want to mention Allan, the restaurant manager, who took the time to have a nice little chat with me every single morning. The Executive Club Lounge was absolutely superb. We loved the quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and the space itself was huge and spotless. The food presentations were top-tier, using the finest ingredients, and evening cocktail hour had a massive selection of high-quality drinks. The lounge staff were so professional and helpful—nothing was ever too much trouble for them. A huge thank you to Linda, Sweetie, Thomas, and the rest of the team whose names I missed, for making our stay such a pleasure. We also had the pleasure of meeting the Head Chef, Stephane, who took the time to chat with my wife and me. I cannot praise him enough for the hard work he and his team put into creating such amazing food. Last but certainly not least, the GM, Mr. Emil Leung, made an impression on us that we will never forget. Shanghai is a massive city of over 21 million people, but we felt so lucky to meet Mr. Leung, who is a truly refined gentleman. His thoughtful gestures throughout our stay left us completely speechless. Mr. Li was also fantastic, and he is very fortunate to have a mentor with such incredible charm, talent, and quality. With Mr. Leung’s guidance, Mr. Li will definitely reach the absolute top of his profession. To sum it all up, this was one of the best holidays we have ever experienced, and it is entirely thanks to Mr. Leung, Mr. Li, and their team. You can truly feel their passion and kindness in everything they do. I honestly felt like I was among friends, and I already miss everything about this hotel. We’ve stayed at plenty of luxury hotels around the world, but none have the magic touch or the genuine human kindness of this team. Whenever we find our way back to Shanghai, this will absolutely be our number-one choice. Hopefully, I will have the privilege of meeting you all again. Hand on heart, sincerely, Karl and Jera Blake

The pool closes at 11pm, but the life guard asked people to leave at 10:40. Two days ago the same guy did the same thing. Can’t believe this is a five star facility. If he hates his job so much, he probably shouldn’t work here Also some tiles on the pool floor are broken

I recently spent five nights in an Executive River View Room at Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai, and the entire stay was truly memorable. From the moment I arrived, I was impressed by the warm welcome, professional attitude, and thoughtful attention to detail shown by the hotel team. The room was spacious, comfortable, and beautifully maintained, with an excellent view of the Huangpu River and the Shanghai skyline. It was a pleasure to return to such a relaxing environment after a busy day. The facilities were of a high standard, but what made the experience particularly special was the service provided by the staff. I would especially like to thank Steven from the Front Office team for his professionalism, warm hospitality, and assistance throughout my stay. His attentive service made the arrival and overall experience smooth and enjoyable. I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Lucas, Victoria, Amanda, Cindy, and Angela from the Housekeeping team. They took excellent care of the room and consistently paid attention to the smallest details. Everything was kept exceptionally clean and well organized, and their thoughtful service made me feel genuinely welcomed and valued as a guest. Mandarin Oriental Pudong offers an excellent combination of luxury, comfort, personalized service, and value for money. Compared with many other luxury hotels in Shanghai, it provides a very competitive experience without compromising the high standards expected from the Mandarin Oriental brand. The staff members are clearly committed to creating memorable experiences for their guests. Overall, my five-night stay was extremely enjoyable, and I left with a very positive impression of the hotel. I would gladly recommend Mandarin Oriental Pudong to anyone visiting Shanghai, whether for business or leisure. I look forward to returning in the future and experiencing the hotel’s wonderful hospitality again.

The Mandarin Oriental Shanghai Pudong is a hotel of genuine highs and frustrating lows. For the price and the brand, the gaps are hard to overlook. Let's start with the best part: the spa. I've been to the MO Bangkok spa — widely regarded as one of the finest in Asia and a crown jewel of the MO portfolio — and the Shanghai spa stands shoulder to shoulder with it. From the moment I walked in and had my assessment done, I felt an immediate, deep sense of calm. Absolute elegance and tranquility in the middle of one of the world's most frenetic cities. My masseuse found every knot and used exactly the right pressure. I fell asleep on the table. I would have gone back every single day if my wallet had permitted. Breakfast was also a highlight. The spread was generous and the quality was high — the live Chinese dumpling station was both delicious and fun to watch, the honeycomb was a lovely touch, juices were fresh and the gelato station added a playful note. No complaints here. The room was a good size — a riverview suite with a large tub, dedicated luggage storage, a clothes hanging area, study desk and a spacious bathroom. There were fresh flowers on arrival, which was a thoughtful touch, and a cake and fruit had been arranged to celebrate our upcoming wedding, which we appreciated. But that's largely where the polish ends. For a hotel of MO's stature, the service inconsistencies were glaring. It seemed like staff were overwhelmed, or perhaps not trained to be detailed enogh for MO. It was absolutely odd that such small touches were not displayed throughout our stay! Staff promptly took our luggage from the car on arrival — good. But after check-in, not a single member of staff pressed the lift for us or offered to show us to our room. No introduction to the facilities or amenities whatsoever. The Taipei MO did this without being asked, courteously and naturally. It's such a basic, foundational gesture for a luxury property that its absence here was jarring. Turndown service was inconsistent throughout the stay. No amenity was ever left — not an essential oil, not a small snack, nothing beyond the standard water and slippers. A curtain issue on the first night was resolved the following day (fair enough), and to their credit, they followed up with a generous portion of macarons as service recovery. But when I left a note requesting sparkling water, it was simply ignored — no water, no note explaining it wasn't available, no acknowledgement at all. And the fresh flowers that arrived so beautifully on day one were visibly fraying by day three, left untouched by housekeeping. The flooring in our room showed its age — scuffed and dated in a way that doesn't befit the brand. The automatic blinds, perhaps installed when it first opened made an irritating jarring noise whenever we opened and closed it. At breakfast, I noticed that one or two male staff members had noticeable body odour. I raise this not to shame anyone, but because at this level of hospitality, the guest experience is built on a hundred small details — and this is one that a well-run operation simply doesn't miss. It pointed to a broader issue with staff presentation and standards. Compounding this, English comprehension among staff at breakfast was limited, though they tried their best, which made interactions awkward. The contrast with the Taipei MO — where staff were polished, multilingual (English, Japanese, Korean), proactive and genuinely attentive — was stark. The most tone-deaf moment came at breakfast, when a manager approached our table and attempted to sell us a package deal for a future stay. Perhaps it plays well with a local clientele, but at a flagship luxury property that caters to international guests, it felt crass and entirely out of place (they could have done so at checkout instead). It read less like hospitality and more like a timeshare pitch. The MO Shanghai Pudong has the bones of a great hotel and a wonderful spa. But the service culture needs a serious reset — the Taipei MO is proof of what this brand is capable of when it's firing on all cylinders. Right now, Shanghai isn't there.