Once again I found myself back at Conrad Shanghai. As mentioned prior, I will be staying in Shanghai for 7 nights. Given that this is my first time here, I would love to check out and review them. I decided to split up my time between the two of them and will be spending 3 nights in each property! The Waldorf Astoria is the best and it sits right on the bund. You can check out my review of the property here. I stayed in the City Suite on my first stay here and this time around I will be back in their Executive Bund View Room for another two nights. The location of the Conrad is superb with it right in the heart of the city on the main Nanjing Road. This is the huge shopping district in Shanghai and links to the Bund! It is very central and well-connected. I am relishing the chance to check out another room type here. The team originally offered me the City Suite again but I wanted to try out a different room type to review it so I opted for the Executive Bund View Room. This also comes with a view. This is not as spacious but I won’t be in the room much. Anything for a review! I shall not dwell too much about the property and share the room.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
To recap, the Conrad Shanghai has 728 guest rooms and suites in 12 categories. The breakdown is below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Room Size |
|---|---|---|
| Deluxe | No | 40 Sqm |
| Deluxe High Floor | No | 40 Sqm |
| Premium | No | 48 – 55 Sqm |
| Bund View | No | 40 Sqm |
| Executive | Yes | 40 Sqm |
| Executive Bund View | Yes | 40 Sqm |
| City View Suite | Yes | 48 – 60 Sqm |
| Deluxe Suite | Yes | 60 – 89 Sqm |
| Premium Bund View suite | Yes | 79 – 91 Sqm |
| Premium Suite | Yes | 111 Sqm |
| Conrad Suite | Yes | 116 – 132 Sqm |
| Presidential Suite | Yes | 157 Sqm |
Checking In
I came back from the WA which is a short ride away. It just took me around 10 minutes or so. I got it around noon and my room is already ready at this time. Upon arrival, the bellboy came over to help me unload my bag. It is similar to a very crowded situation in the lobby. I went to check in at the executive lounge instead which is way better. The experience is more polished and the staff are much more friendly. I highly recommend to do so if you have access. The weather was simply lovely and it is nice to enjoy a cup of coffee while checking in.
Executive Bund View Room
I was assigned a room on the 37th floor, one of the bund view rooms. The rooms here are on a higher floor to get the nice unblocked view of the bund. It can be slightly more troublesome as to get to the 37th floor, you have to do a change of elevators. I was assigned 3718 to be exact. The entrance takes you right to the bathroom and wardrobe area. This is found immediately to the right. It is a generous spot with everything that you might need for your stay. This includes a luggage storage area, ironing kits, hangers, bathrobes and bath slippers. There is also a safe and portable rack. You can also fit a mid-size luggage inside the wardrobe.
On the left, you can find the open-concept bathroom, which comes with a single sink. There are plenty of counter space. It is also equipped with a cosmetic mirror and mouthwash. As per usual, amenities are from Byredo in large pump-size bottles. The showers and toilet are in separate rooms. There isn’t a bidet toilet here. The shower room comes with both a showering space and a bathtub inside. The temperature control isn’t very good as the moment that you use the sinks outside the temperature in the shower will drop.
This is my main issue with the shower room. It comes with a glass wall that allows you to see through the room and the view outside. While I appreciate the concept, this is not convenient if you need more privacy. The glass can be frosted to increase the privacy level but there is one main issue. The switch is outside the bathroom! This is so not secure! Things like this have to be left on the inside. The frosted glass is also not very obscure. I would far prefer for them to do a sliding door to close up the bathroom area.
In the corner, you can find a spacious luggage rack and cabinets below. Here there are some laundry bags. The area can fit a large size suitcase very well.
The TV is mounted on the wall. It is a good size for the room. The TV comes with a good number of local and international cable TV channels. This makes it nice for movie nights.
Right beside the television is also the minibus area. It is nicely equipped with all sorts of snacks, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. They also have both a proper Nespresso coffee machine as well as a kettle. Packaged tea and capsules are provided too. These are replenished during daily housekeeping.
The couch could fit 2 pax or so and this can also be a bed for the little ones. There is also a coffee table here. Next to it is the working desk. It is of a good size and great to work from. You have the bundle to keep you company. All sorts of plugs and outlets are available. The Wi-Fi connection is very good too. Do take note that the usual China restriction applies.
Later on, the staff also brought over a birthday cake and some fruits since we are celebrating my mom’s birthday. The grapes were lovely. Coming to the main selling point of this room, the view! You have an outstanding view of the bund and the pedestrian street below. I am also happy to report that the blinds and sheers here are electronically controlled.
The plush king-size bed is located in the middle of the room. The sheets and bedding were comfortable. The pillows also offer great neck support. They also have a pillow menu that you can use to customize your sleep experience. Flanking both sides of the bed are nightstands with controls for the lighting and the power outlets.
Turndown service is automatically offered in the evening with the room refresh and turn down for your evening. With everything that I have seen in this room, this certainly won’t be suitable for colleagues or friends. It is more suitable for couples.
Conclusion
Suite or room? The question is if you prefer having the view or additional space. While the bund view might be nice it is all about the novelty. It does get a little tired after some time and if you are out most of the time, that further sums out the decisions. It is always nice to get an upgrade to a view room which is a signature and a premium here. I did prefer the suite without the view that I had on my previous stay. It is still a very nice room for small families and couples. I can’t say that I am a fan of the bathroom layout and design. It is way too exposed and the frosted glass switch should never be designed outside the shower room. This is not a logical thing!
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