Xiaocheng Story Inn (Shanghai Railway Station Zhenping Road Subway Station)

Here's what I liked: 1. **Convenient Location:** Close to the subway and plenty of shared bikes available. 2. **Easy to Find:** Located at an intersection, it's on the third floor, but the signage is prominent and easy to spot in a lively area. 3. **Cleanliness:** Overall very clean and hygienic. Almost no strange odors, and very little visible trash. It felt a bit like going back to a college dorm. 4. **Great Common Area:** The seating area in the lobby is excellent for studying, more spacious and cozy than other places. It's also a good distance from the dining tables. 5. **Pleasant Surprise:** They upgraded my 6-person reservation to a 4-person room with a private bathroom – a nice bonus! 6. **Well-Designed Front Desk Area:** The front desk surroundings were thoughtfully arranged. 7. **Quiet Nights:** The surrounding area was quieter at night than I expected. 8. **Water Dispenser:** Convenient for guests who need a quick drink. 9. **Spacious Wardrobe:** Much more spacious than what you find in other hotels. 10. **Overall Impression:** It feels like the management genuinely cares about providing a good experience. Here are a few things that weren't ideal: 1. **Public Restroom at Night:** The floor in the public restroom was too wet at night. There was a lot of standing water from the adjacent showers, making it inconvenient to even go to the toilet, even with shoes on. It would be even more unpleasant in colder weather. 2. **Roommate's Clutter:** My roommate had a lot of stuff, and it was disorganized and scattered everywhere. I'd suggest some management of this, as it's a shared space. I wonder if other rooms are similar. 3. **Front Desk Demeanor:** A smile from the front desk staff would be better. Their expression was a bit cold, perhaps due to being overworked. They also didn't inform me of the upgrade beforehand, which made me think I was in the wrong room and had to go back to confirm (though I'm still very grateful to her). 4. **Deposit Requirement:** This was the first time I've encountered a deposit requirement for a 'blind box' youth hostel, even after staying in one for a month. While hotels sometimes do this, it still felt a bit off compared to other hostels. 5. **Lobby Study Area Etiquette:** I'm unsure if the study tables and chairs in the public lobby can be 'claimed.' People would leave their laptops, books, and belongings there for extended periods without being present. 6. **Hand Towels in Public Washroom:** It would be great if there were paper towels available at the public washbasins, especially since it's so close to the study lobby.

To all my friends visiting Shanghai, I highly recommend staying at this hostel! The facilities are new and well-equipped with all the daily necessities and furniture you could need. The environment is excellent and super clean 🤩 The hallways and common areas are spacious and bright. All the staff members are incredibly friendly and helpful! One of the aunties even waited for me to come back to prepare my meal even though she was close to finishing her shift 🤓 And when I left something behind, someone immediately responded and helped me keep it safe. It's just a few steps to the Line 7 subway station, making it super convenient to get around. The environment and service here truly outshine competitors, and the value for money absolutely beats staying in a hotel. Highly, highly recommended! 🤗

The environment is great and very new. The bed is super soft. The location is convenient, very close to the subway station, and there are many delicious food options nearby.

The room was exceptionally good; I stayed for quite a while. There's a common area, and the room was regularly cleaned by staff, which was fantastic. The front desk staff were also very enthusiastic.

Quite satisfied. The hygiene was acceptable, and it offered good value for money.

Staying in the male 10-bed dorm was a great experience. The room was spacious, and each bunk had its own privacy curtain, which was a nice touch. Storage space and charging outlets were also readily available. Housekeeping was prompt; the bedding, floors, and shared bathrooms were all clean and tidy, with no unpleasant odors. My dorm-mates were all considerate, kept regular hours, and the overall environment was quiet and peaceful. The staff were friendly and efficient, always quick to help with any issues. The location was convenient for getting around, and the price was very reasonable. It's a great choice for a short stopover or a quick trip. Highly recommended!

Facilities: Quite new. Cleanliness: Relatively clean. Environment: Not bad. Service: On point. It seems like a newly opened hostel. There were a lot of formaldehyde-absorbing packets in the lockers. There's no window, which made it feel very cramped. The location, however, was great. I was worried about the formaldehyde, so I only stayed one night and left quickly.

This was my first time staying in a hostel in China, and the experience was just okay. Most of the guests were Chinese from out of town, mainly staying there to attend concerts. The price was definitely much cheaper compared to hotels on a Saturday. Perhaps my roommates were all busy with their own work and lives, so there was zero interaction, haha. One thing I hope they can improve is for guests to close the door when cooking in the communal kitchen, as the smell of cooking oil can be quite strong. Also, the cleanliness of the common areas needs to be improved. Wishing the owner a prosperous business!