Intercontinental Hotel & Resorts properties in Shanghai

Considering the sheer crowds at major attractions across the country during the May 1st holiday, we decided to take it easy in Shanghai. We chose the InterContinental National Exhibition and Convention Center as our base for two days of dining and entertainment, largely because its holiday rates were surprisingly affordable (unlike other hotels, this InterContinental tends to be incredibly cheap during holidays!). Compared to the bustling crowds during exhibition periods, this InterContinental offered a welcome tranquility. Like all InterContinentals, the lobby was grand and impressive, and the service was exactly what you'd expect from the brand. The room was clean and well-arranged. The breakfast buffet was upscale, and the dinner was a lobster-themed buffet – absolutely delicious! For lunch, we drove to Hongqiao Tiandi, which felt very convenient!

The InterContinental Jing'an is like a 'safe haven' for family trips – hassle-free, comfortable, and just right. I especially want to commend Chime; his smile is as warm as sunshine. When my child was a bit fussy during check-in, he immediately brought over a small toy to entertain them, and even proactively helped us take our luggage to the room and adjusted the AC temperature. Every time we saw him afterward, he'd remember to ask, 'Did the little one have fun today?', which felt so thoughtful and genuine. You need a key card to access the guest floors, which made us feel very secure. The beds were neither too soft nor too hard, perfect for both adults and children to sleep well. No frills, just a place that makes you want to come back. I love it here, and I especially love the warmth of people like Chime.

This hotel is located near the Nanpu Bridge in Pudong, Shanghai. The location is excellent, with a beautiful night view. The room was large and very spacious. The front desk even upgraded us to a river view room. The swimming pool water quality was excellent and it was quite large, though it wasn't very well maintained; if you looked closely, some tiles had fallen off. The breakfast buffet was very generous. The dinner buffet was also plentiful, with seafood, skewers, various meat and vegetable dishes, and plenty of drinks and desserts. They had six kinds of ice cream, and I particularly liked the matcha flavor – it was great that it was even available at breakfast. Although the hotel facilities are a bit old, they clearly make an effort to maintain them. The service, cleanliness, and overall environment were all great. I will definitely come back again!

Before arriving, I was a bit worried due to some negative reviews, but thankfully, everything went smoothly and was very satisfying. Bruce from guest relations contacted us immediately on the day of our arrival. Upon checking in, there was a water curtain show in the lobby, which we enjoyed while getting settled. We were upgraded to a Turquoise room. Even though it was on the -1 floor, its central location allowed us to enjoy views from both sides, and at night, we had a fantastic view of the Shanhaijing light and shadow show from the balcony. After enjoying some mini-bar snacks, drinks, and welcome fruit, we went to see the flyboard performance. If you're not dining at the Fishermen's Fire restaurant, you can visit the mini aquarium between 2-5 PM. There were also goodnight desserts in the evening. Our room was free of any strange odors, and considering the hotel has been open for over five years, the facilities still felt very new. They even had a Dyson hairdryer and Hansgrohe showerheads – the same brand I use at home, which was a nice touch. Kids' toiletries were also provided. During the day, you could hear people screaming on the giant swing at Shenkeng Secret Garden across the way from our balcony, which was quite amusing. Overall, the service was very professional and consistent with the hotel's image. Goodness knows, I've had terrible experiences at other five-star hotels where I was woken up by knocking on the door even with a 'do not disturb' sign on. Cai Feng Lou restaurant was delicious. The afternoon tea at Shenkeng, costing over 300, is suitable for 2-3 people; it's more about presentation than taste. The hotel also offers free travel photography, including 3 photos and a 15-second video. The photographer took us to several great spots, and the photos turned out well. If you don't have time to select your photos on-site, you can do it online later, though on-site is more convenient. I recommend planning your time around the hotel's activity schedule. For families with kids, Shenkeng Secret Garden and the Smurfs theme park are right next door. Guangfulin and Chenshan Botanical Garden are also nearby attractions. In short, both adults and children can have a great experience. Bruce also arranged for a late check-out for us, though we didn't end up needing it. We even unexpectedly ran into him again during check-out!

Completely charmed by this old-school hotel! Came for a staycation to celebrate our anniversary, and Olive at the front desk was amazing! She helped us with an upgrade and even arranged some decorations. The emotional value was off the charts! Huge thanks to her! 😊 Although the InterContinental Tomson is a bit older, it has a unique charm. The faint classical music in the hallways is so relaxing – perhaps that's the allure of an old-school hotel! And this open-plan suite is just beautiful! 🤩 My friend hilariously commented: ”It feels like the kind of place a former Greater China CEO would stay on a business trip.” It was a very comfortable stay overall. The purple sofa is particularly lovely, and I also adored the bathtub and the surprisingly cool rotating TV. My only complaint was the scent of the toiletries, especially the hand soap which had a strange, lingering fragrance. 😓

Taking advantage of the good weather this weekend, I brought my parents for a nostalgic trip to see old mansions. We chose to stay at the InterContinental Ruijin Hotel this time. The hotel's location is superb, right in the heart of the Huaihai Road commercial area, and it's a short walk to Sinan Mansions, Fuxing Park, and Tianzifang. As soon as we entered the lobby, we were captivated by the giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It looked even more beautiful when lit up at night. The InterContinental's service was excellent as always, and we checked in very quickly. We booked a two-bedroom family suite in the main building, which features two bedrooms, a living room, and three bathrooms. The master bedroom has a 1.9-meter king-size bed, the second bedroom has two 1.35-meter double beds, and the living room has a two-seater sofa and a single armchair. The room included four executive lounge privileges, so after dropping off our luggage, we headed straight to the executive lounge for afternoon tea. The executive lounge also has that 'old money' vibe, perfect for photos. For dinner, we could either dine in the executive lounge or pay an additional 99 RMB to eat at 'Lounge 99' Western Restaurant. We opted for the latter as it offered more variety, including complimentary langoustine and West Lake vinegar fish (yellow croaker), making it quite a good deal. After afternoon tea, we took a stroll through the hotel garden. It was lush and green, and the spring breeze blowing through the leaves felt especially gentle. The sun also turned warm, and the green leaves cradled delicate, dew-kissed flowers. In the gentle breeze, the flowers swayed softly, looking somewhat shy.

An absolutely fantastic hotel stay! Before I even arrived, the hotel concierge proactively reached out on WeChat to introduce the hotel and its amenities. Check-in was warm and welcoming. I was upgraded to a lake-view room and received complimentary breakfast (as an InterContinental member). The hotel also provided welcome fruit, free drinks at the lobby bar, and thoughtful desserts delivered to my room in the evening. Haha, lying in bed watching the lake and the sunrise, then reading, having coffee, and enjoying the breeze and sunshine on the balcony during the day – simply wonderful! The hotel has extensive outdoor spaces, all facing Dishui Lake, and it's lovely to explore at dawn, during the day, in the evening, and at night. The dining options are plentiful, so you can easily have all your meals right at the hotel. The pool is absolutely amazing, swimming amidst light and shadow, with the outdoor pool visible right outside the floor-to-ceiling windows! The room features both a shower and a bathtub, and the windows are electronically controlled. The hotel's design resembles a flower, with the lobby in the 'bud' and sections A, B, C, D, and E as the 'petals' where the guest rooms are located. The corridors and rooms have a very stylish design, with some curved lines giving it a futuristic feel. Each floor even has a small sculpture outside every room door... An unforgettable stay!