The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai

This review is for Bas Wilbers and his entire operations team staff. I am writing to formally log an emergency complaint regarding a severe safety city code violation and a complete operational failure during our current stay at the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai. Due to the hotel’s slow reaction and failure to maintain a safe environment, I demand an immediate full refund for our stay and an urgent manager-arranged transfer to an alternative premium Marriott property in Shanghai for our remaining nights. On July 3rd-4th 2026, hotel staff workers heavily painted doors/hallways/walls directly in front of our rooms. The severe chemical vapors (oxymethylene/formaldehyde) which has potential to cause blood cancer, instantly filled our space and recirculated through ventilation to many other floors and triggered an acute, dangerous asthma attack in my young son. The hotel's handling of this medical and safety crisis has been entirely unacceptable: Negligent Delays & Communication Friction: When we called the front desk to report the toxic fumes, staff reacted with absolute indifference, ignoring the urgency of the situation. Forced Physical Escalation: Because our urgent phone requests were ignored, I was forced to leave my kids to physically confront the lounge concierge to secure a room change. Unresolved Contamination & Lost Time: The hotel failed to ventilate the area, allowing toxic fumes to spread through the property all day. We were finally forced to pack and move in the evening, only to find the smell had contaminated the whole hotel. This back-and-forth communication has cost our family two full days of our trip and caused immense stress. The Ritz-Carlton has breached its basic duty of care. We no longer feel safe staying in this building, nor do we have confidence in this specific team's capacity to manage guest health crises. Additionally, the Ritz Carlton Club lounge access on 43rd floor served afternoon tea scones which were not fully cooked (likely raw egg/not fully cooked egg) which right upon eating lead to food poisoning of our family members, including our children in which we all experienced severe immediate vomiting/diarrhea for 2+ days that required a hospital visit to cure.

This is truly a fantastic hotel. The rooms are spacious and well-maintained. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Yang working on the 42nd floor. She was friendly, helpful and always ready to solve my problems. It’s the excellent service that made my stay so pleasant.

I used to believe that Ritz-Carlton represented the highest standard of hospitality. As a Titanium Elite member, I booked this stay directly through the official Marriott app and expected a level of service consistent with a luxury brand. Unfortunately, my experience at The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai was deeply disappointing. During my stay, I experienced significant noise issues from neighboring rooms and the hallway, which seriously affected my ability to rest. I reported the issue during my stay, but it was never effectively resolved. What disappointed me even more was the customer care experience afterward. I opened a formal case on May 1 and followed up again on May 5. As of June 4, more than one month later, I still have not received any meaningful update or substantive response. At this point, my disappointment is no longer about the original hotel issue itself. It is about the apparent lack of urgency, ownership, and follow-through in handling customer concerns. This experience has fundamentally changed my view of luxury hotels and loyalty programs. Premium pricing and elite status mean very little if customer feedback is not taken seriously. I am sharing this experience so that future guests can make informed decisions and set realistic expectations.

The housekeeping staff JEAN showed first rate professionalism throughout my stay at the Hotel as observed by me in her deliverables, manner and attitude towards customers.

I spent a wonderful evening in the Ritz Bar, the bartender Sunny and Ronne were welcomed and invited. The drinks were great.