The Peninsula Shanghai

True luxury is not defined by beautiful properties, impressive architecture, or even flawless service, it is defined by how a hotel responds when something does not go as planned. Following an unfortunate situation with an external dinner reservation arranged through the concierge, Mr. Chon and the team at The Peninsula Shanghai demonstrated a level of hospitality that reflects the very highest standards of luxury hospitality. What stood out most was not simply the thoughtful gestures, the wine, fruits, or the gracious offer of the hotel’s Rolls-Royce transfer to the airport, but the genuine personal attention. Mr. Chon personally took the time to speak with us, apologize with sincerity, and ensure that we felt cared for throughout our stay. This is the kind of leadership that defines truly exceptional hotels. The Peninsula Shanghai is fortunate to have professionals who understand that authentic hospitality is about presence, grace, and genuine care for the guest experience. In an era where many luxury hotels feel transactional, experiences like this are what continue to set The Peninsula apart.

My wife and I really enjoyed our, far too short, stay at this wonderful hotel, with a fabulous location on The Bund.. Our River View room was beautiful, and beautifully appointed with everything could need and more. We loved the excellent cocktails and service at the Roof Terrace bar while enjoying the truly amazing light show river view, before experiencing a truly exceptional meal at Sir Elly’s restaurant - and what a privilege to be able to meet the chef. Unfortunately, we needed to depart early for our flight on the final day and discussed this on the previous evening with the excellent concierge who arranged for us to pre-order a cooked breakfast to be available in the Lobby restaurant as soon as it opened at 06.00 - perfect, and perfect service. Thank you

My wife and I have looked forward to our short weekend getaway to celebrate her birthday. Despite the Peninsula was quite a bit more expensive than comparable five star hotels around town, the location on The Bund and the Peninsula brand warrant the premium. The first glitch happened at booking. It was good that the issue was resolved quickly after I complained over email. I then utilised the concierge service extensively, having them help arrange restaurant bookings and hair appointments for my wife, all done swiftly and followed through diligently. Our arrival at the hotel was seamless and efficient. Service was impeccable as most of the staff greeted us by name and with a smile. The room was beautiful and housekeeping flawless. Admittedly breakfast was a bit of a disappointment as the buffet spread had very few choices (I had to buy my own berries from outside so we could have more variety of fresh fruits the following day!) and the ordered items were not really up to par. But the surrounding was elegant and service swift. It was all going very well… but then came a second glitch. This one I thought was really “dumb”: I ordered a birthday cake which arrived absolutely plain, with no birthday greetings and/or candles!! We mistakenly thought it was just a simple dessert. We were gravely disappointed and fired another complain email at 2am. Luckily the hotel managed to redeem itself at breakfast, presenting us with a “proper” cake with the appropriate trimmings. Thus, despite this ought to have been a five star rating, a point had to be taken for these glitches. Hope that won’t be the case in our next stay.

Firstly, I do not regret booking this hotel though I had hesitations after reading the many mixed reviews here. Our rooms were beautiful, incredible impeccable design details, so thoughtful, with very comfy beds. I didn’t have the highest expectations and really that encapsulates the rest of our experience outside of the rooms themselves. It took over 40mins for our luggage to come up to our room after we arrived- I would have to carried it myself but the bellhops grabbed it from the cab as soon as we pulled up. We had requested a rollaway bed and when I asked for it there was some back and forth where we were told there wasn’t one and then there was one and then wasn’t and was- with one of our rooms booked for 3 people- how else was that going to work?!?! Breakfast was great and we were not bothered that it was in the lobby- BUT we were led to a large table and when we got there it wasn’t set up, so had to stand awkwardly amongst diners waiting for it to be set up- a basic service error that really isn’t acceptable at a 5-star hotel. The kids coloring placemat is a kids menu but no one pointed that out and we didn’t realize until our last breakfast. One night the staff came to turn down the room and I said to please come back in 10minutes. We left and went out for dinner and came back hours later and they had only just come to do the room…! I asked the concierge about the courtesy cars and wanted to know how they worked and felt like the response was very patronizing when he responded that it might be easier for me to set up WeChat and order a Didi car- like I have my apps set up and know how to order a car- I was enquiring about the courtesy cars and wanted to know how those worked but he was extremely unhelpful and I felt like he was gaslighting me. A simple polite explanation of the process was all I needed. So my conclusion is that the hotel is stunning but service is spotty. 5 stars for the hotel but 3.5 for service. As others have said- the pool does not feel heated at all but it’s gorgeous. The narrow footpaths in front of the hotel are bonkers busy at night with tourists… luckily the hotel is set back but you still have to navigate that coming back. There was one great staff member that recommended an awesome dinner restaurant to us- across the road and left of the hotel entrance driveway - at number 27 (up a few steps from the street and the doorway is left through a plastic curtain) we had our fave meal there of amazing noodles with crabroe/shrimps- highly recommend!!

I recently saw a video about the design concept of the Peninsula Shanghai, which can be summed up in two words: elegance. This was the first Peninsula I stayed at, and only after checking in did I truly understand the weight of those two words. If the Peace Hotel was the king of old Shanghai, then the Peninsula Shanghai, just two streets away, is the "trophy wife" hotel of the newer generation. It's not my favorite hotel - that award goes to SOWAKA in Kyoto, but it's among the most beloved in my book. We booked a Deluxe River-view Room. The Big Three of Lujiazui caught our eye immediately as we entered the room. The room looked a bit dated, but it was very well maintained, and I absolutely adored the use of Art Deco as its main design inspiration - it made even the traces of wear look particularly stylish, exuding a weathered yet refined charm. Like other Peninsula hotels, the room had everything: from a hygrometer to a fax machine, to various stationery items, everything a guest could possibly need, they provided. The walk-in closet was also extremely spacious and had a luggage compartment large enough to fully accommodate a 30-inch suitcase. The turndown service mat had "Goodnight" written on the side facing the bed and "Good Morning" on the other side, which was super cute. My only critique would be the hairdryer, costing around 200 RMB on Taobao, and my girlfriend burned her scalp while using it. The service was professional and efficient, but somewhat distant. It's understandable, though, as given the hotel's size, you can't expect the personalized service of a boutique hotel. I asked for an iron and an ironing board, and housekeeping delivered them within minutes, which was super impressive. If I had to nitpick, it would be that I emailed the concierge before check-in to request a late check-out using Peninsula Time, but received no reply for a week until I got in touch with Amex, who helped to put through my request to the hotel. Compared to the Peninsula Beijing, breakfast featured more à la carte options, with the buffet mainly offering pastries and fruits. Although the breakfast venues for both hotels were in the main lobby, the atmosphere here was significantly quieter and more intimate, perhaps due to fewer guests around Chinese New Year. The à la carte items were all of excellent quality. I was pleasantly surprised to find a Singaporean-style soft-boiled egg, something I hadn't had since leaving Singapore 7 years ago. The only downside was the large portions: unless you are a competitive eater, one à la carte dish is usually enough to fill you up, which isn't ideal for guests who wish to try a few items. The night before checking out, we went to Sir Elly's Bar and ordered a few cocktails and brought them back to the room, which the staff kindly helped to arrange. I can't find a better hotel in Shanghai that embodies the spririt and vibe of the city better than the Peninsula Shanghai, and for that, I will most definitely be back.