Mansions, plazas, palaces – you'll find these plastered all over the names of many Shanghai Hotels. The Peace Palace, Shangri-La, the usual offerings from the Ritz-Carlton, the Hilton, the Hyatt. Booking a hotel in Shanghai China can be an expensive endeavor, not to mention one fraught with possible problems – if you are looking for any kind of the precious few budget Shanghai Hotels, historically it's a good idea to plan out your trip well in advance. Especially in the summer and near the Chinese New Year, these hotels will fill up at a disturbingly rapid pace.
If you want to stay for cheap near the People's Square, there's the YMCA Hotel, which isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Sure, it's just a big dormitory, but it's clean and cheap and the location is one of the best of all the budget hotels in Shanghai. Another quality establishment is the Pujiang Hotel, a short walk away from The Bund, and about half the price of even some of the other cheap hotels in Shanghai. You'd never know it from the look of the place, though. Spacious, stylish – the Pujiang is a wonderful value in a city where they can be hard to find sometimes.
Speaking of The Bund, it is the nearby area where you will find the glut of Shanghai hotels. You'll find the Metropole Hotel, a throwback to colonial British times, complete with a basement pub and the English flag inside. The Jinchen Hotel and Xinya Dajiudian are a couple of the other mid-range hotels in Shanghai located nearby, with the latter being well-known for it's thirties-era style and charm. But barring a little bit of haggling with the hotel manager, the prices of hotels just go up and up. Almost all of the hotels in Shanghai are top-end or nearly so, even if renovations have culled the character from many of the old style mansions and palaces. But there are plenty to choose from littered throughout the entire city, so it's not like you'll be without options. The Peace Hotel is by far the most famous and well-loved of any hotel in the city. Ascending from The Bund itself, its mere location should give you a pretty big hint as to the grandeur and grace with which this hotel is imbued with. What was once the offices of one of the richest men in Shanghai, now anyone (for the right price) can see the old-time luxury that remains in the twelve story hotel. Another Shanghai hotel that specializes in preserving history is the Ruijin Guesthouse – a series of aging mansions that feel like stepping into a time warp.
If you care less about history and more about luxury, the Portman Ritz-Carlton is considered by many to be one of the finest hotels in Shanghai. Located in Shanghai Center, it's hard to beat the location, either. The Crowne-Plaza Shanghai is similar in many ways, though it has a fewer deluxe accommodations for a similar price.
