The Best Hotels in Shanghai, by Price Range (2026)

The Peninsula occupies a purpose-built 1920s-style tower on the Bund itself — not Bund-adjacent, not Bund-view, but on the Bund, facing the Huangpu River and Pudong’s skyline. The rooms are among the most generously sized in the city, with the brand’s usual in-room technology and warm, attentive service. The rooftop pool, the basement spa, and the Sir Elly’s restaurant (with what may be the most famous view of any restaurant in Shanghai) complete one of the most complete luxury hotel packages in China. From ~¥3,700–5,200 (~US$521–732).

In a restored 1930s lane-house compound in the former French Concession — a neighbourhood of plane trees and art deco mansions — Capella Shanghai is a hotel that looks and feels unlike anything else in the city. Seventeen courtyard villas, a private spa, a small pool tucked into the garden, and a level of privacy that towers and convention hotels structurally can’t offer. The design is immaculate and deeply considered; the service-to-room ratio is extraordinary. At 17 villas it fills quickly — book ahead. From ~¥6,000–8,000 (~US$845–1,127) per villa per night.

The Waldorf Astoria occupies a pair of buildings on the Bund — the 1910 Shanghai Club (a historic landmark, now the public spaces and heritage suites) and a contemporary tower behind it. The combination of art deco grandeur and modern room comfort is hard to replicate. The Long Bar is a Shanghai institution. The service is polished and the Bund address gives it an edge in atmosphere that comparable hotels in Pudong can’t match. From ~¥3,800–5,000 (~US$535–704).

Floors 79–93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center (the “bottle opener” tower) in Pudong — the highest hotel rooms in China and arguably some of the most dramatic skyline views of any hotel in the world. The rooms are impressive in scale (no room below 65 sqm), the spa is excellent, and the pool on the 85th floor is one of those hotel experiences that genuinely warrants a superlative. Pudong location means distance from Puxi’s neighbourhood charm. From ~¥2,800–3,800 (~US$394–535).

The MO Pudong is a reliable, very well-run luxury hotel in the financial district — excellent service depth (the brand’s calling card), a beautiful lap pool, the Yong Spa, and river views from the upper floors. It won’t win on atmosphere — Pudong doesn’t — but for a consistent, high-quality business-and-leisure stay it outperforms most of the Bund competition on service and condition. From ~¥2,800–4,000 (~US$394–563).

A consistently well-run tower hotel in Pudong with the Four Seasons’ reliable standard of service, a strong spa, and good dining. Less atmospheric than the heritage Bund properties and less dramatic in views than the Park Hyatt, but reliably excellent — a steady choice for corporate travel or for guests who want the Four Seasons guarantee without the Bund premium. From ~¥2,500–3,500 (~US$352–493).

A Shanghai institution in the Jing’An district — within the Shanghai Centre complex, connected to offices, apartments, and a theatre — the Portman has been one of the best business hotels in Shanghai for decades. The Shanghai Centre sets it in the heart of central Puxi rather than on the Bund or in Pudong, which is ideal for work combined with neighbourhood access. The renovation has refreshed the rooms without changing the formula. From ~¥2,600–3,600 (~US$366–507).

Occupying floors 54–87 of the Jin Mao Tower in Pudong, the Grand Hyatt has a feature that makes it genuinely extraordinary at its price point: a 33-storey central atrium, lit from above, ringed by the hotel’s balconied corridors — one of the great interior architectural experiences of any hotel in Asia. The rooms are spacious, the views are extraordinary (including of the SWFC “bottle opener” tower immediately adjacent), and it consistently delivers more spectacle per yuan than hotels costing twice as much. The spa has been refreshed and is solid. From ~¥1,800–2,600 (~US$254–366).

A large, well-facilitated hotel in the Jing’An / Nanjing West Road district — one of the best connected locations in central Puxi, within walking distance of both the shopping strip and the French Concession. The rooms are well-maintained, the Portman F&B competition is very close by, and the hotel does a solid job at a competitive price point. A reliable business and leisure base without the Bund premium. From ~¥1,700–2,400 (~US$239–338).

On the southern Bund near the Old City, the Indigo has one of the best value propositions in Shanghai: a Bund address, locally-designed rooms full of Shanghainese cultural reference, a rooftop bar with a striking Pudong view, and rates that routinely undercut every hotel in this guide. The service is less polished than the luxury tier; the rooms are smaller; but the location and the design make it a serious contender for the smart traveller who doesn’t need the full-service hotel. From ~¥1,000–1,600 (~US$141–225).

A Swire Hotels property in Jing’An — the brand behind the iconic Upper House in Hong Kong — The Middle House brings the same design sensibility and warm, considered service to Shanghai. The rooms are well above average for this tier, the courtyard restaurant and bar are consistently excellent, and the location (Jing’An, connected to West Nanjing Road) is one of the best in central Puxi. If the Upper House is your frame of reference, you’ll know what to expect. From ~¥1,200–1,800 (~US$169–253).