Best Hotels in Shanghai

Shanghai is a city of dazzling contrasts: art deco facades along the Bund face off against the futuristic skyline of Pudong, while quiet lane houses in the former French Concession sit just blocks from gleaming luxury malls. Choosing where to stay shapes your entire experience of the city — whether you want sweeping river views, heritage architecture, or a serene garden retreat. Below are five of the finest hotels in Shanghai, each offering a distinct vantage point on this endlessly fascinating metropolis.

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The Peninsula Shanghai

Standing at the northern end of the Bund, The Peninsula Shanghai is the only new building permitted on this historic waterfront in more than 70 years — and it was designed to look as though it had always belonged. The hotel channels 1920s Shanghai glamour, with art deco detailing, polished marble lobbies, and a fleet of MINI Cooper Clubmans to whisk guests around the city.

Rooms are among the most spacious in Shanghai, and many overlook the Huangpu River and the Pudong skyline opposite. The Peninsula also has some of the city's best afternoon tea in The Lobby, and Sir Elly's rooftop bar offers a quintessential Bund view at sunset. For first-time visitors who want a property that captures Shanghai's romance and history, it's hard to better.

Park Hyatt Shanghai

If you've ever wanted to sleep in the clouds, the Park Hyatt Shanghai is your hotel. Occupying floors 79 to 93 of the Jin Mao Tower in the heart of Pudong's financial district, it sits among the highest hotels in the world. The reception is on the 87th floor — clouds drift past the windows on overcast days, and on clear evenings you can see the lights of Puxi stretching to the horizon.

Rooms are minimalist and refined, with deep soaking tubs, rain showers, and floor-to-ceiling glass. The 100 Century Avenue restaurant and bar on the 91st and 92nd floors is a destination in itself, with open kitchens and views that border on surreal. Choose Park Hyatt if you want modern Shanghai — gleaming, vertiginous, and unmistakably 21st-century.

Aman Shanghai

Set on the outskirts of the city, Aman Shanghai is a true escape rather than an urban base. The resort is built around relocated and meticulously restored antique Ming and Qing dynasty courtyard houses, scattered across 10 hectares of gardens, lakes, and camphor forests. It feels less like a hotel and more like a private estate from another century.

Suites are huge, with private courtyards, copper soaking tubs, and underfloor heating. The spa, Chinese restaurant Lazhu, and meditative grounds make this a place to slow down — ideal for travelers extending a Shanghai trip with a few days of decompression, or for those who plan to use the hotel car service to explore the city at their own pace. If you also love heritage stays in other cities, you might enjoy our guides to the best hotels in Florence and the best hotels in Venice.

Bulgari Hotel Shanghai

The Bulgari Hotel Shanghai is the Italian jeweler's most ambitious hotel to date, occupying a 48-story tower in the Suzhou Creek district alongside the painstakingly restored 1916 Chamber of Commerce building. The location is excellent — central but quieter than the Bund, with easy access to both old Shanghai and the Pudong skyline across the river.

Interiors are unmistakably Bulgari: black marble, bronze, lacquered wood, and Roman flourishes throughout. Il Ristorante by Niko Romito brings serious Italian gastronomy to the city, and the spa's 25-meter emerald-green pool is one of Shanghai's most photogenic. Rooms feel like residences rather than hotel suites, and the rooftop bar in the heritage building is a memorable spot for an evening cocktail.

Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li

For something genuinely unique, Capella Shanghai occupies 55 restored 1930s shikumen lane houses in the former French Concession. These two- and three-story villas were once the homes of Shanghai's intelligentsia, and Capella has transformed them into private residences with leafy laneway entrances, in-house butlers, and the feeling of being a temporary resident rather than a tourist.

The location is hard to overstate — you can walk to the cafes, boutiques, and tree-lined streets of Xintiandi and Wukang Road. Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire delivers Michelin-level French cuisine, and the Auriga spa is one of Asia's finest. If you appreciate cities best explored on foot through atmospheric neighborhoods, you'll find a similar pleasure in our best hotels in Hong Kong guide.

How to choose

For first-time visitors drawn to the Bund and classic Shanghai glamour, The Peninsula is the obvious choice. For dramatic modernity and