There are many hotel options along the Bund in Shanghai. The Peninsula, the Peace Hotel, Hyatt on the Bund, and The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong all have their own strengths. But if you ask which hotel best combines old Shanghai historic architecture, Bund views, and modern luxury, Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is definitely one of the more representative choices.
Contents [Hide]
About Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is located in the heart of the Bund and consists of two parts: one side is the former Shanghai Club building, built in 1911 and now known as the Waldorf Astoria Club building; the other side is the modern new tower. The hotel has 260 rooms and suites in total, and it was also the first Waldorf Astoria property in the Asia-Pacific region.
The main entrance of the Club building is at 2 Zhongshan East 1st Road, while the entrance to the new tower is at 88 Sichuan Middle Road. For normal check-in, taking taxis, and storing luggage, it is generally more convenient to use the new tower entrance on Sichuan Middle Road. The location is truly hard to beat: step outside and you are right on the Bund. A walk along the river lets you enjoy the historic international architecture all the way, while across the river are Lujiazui landmarks such as the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Jin Mao Tower. After the lights come on at night, the view is especially beautiful.
It is also not far to walk from the hotel to popular areas such as East Nanjing Road, Yu Garden, and City God Temple. If it is your first time visiting Shanghai, staying here basically means you do not need to make a separate plan to “go see the Bund night view,” because you will already see plenty of it every time you leave and return to the hotel.
Booking
This time I was in Shanghai for one day, so I specifically came to try the Waldorf Astoria for one night. It happened that the free night certificate from the AMEX Aspire card had just posted, so it was a perfect use. There is also currently a limited-time 175,000-point offer, and you get a free night certificate in the first year, which can be used at any Hilton hotel worldwide, including various Waldorf Astoria properties. For booking, you can refer to:
AMEX Hilton Aspire Credit Card
Complimentary top-tier Hilton Diamond status! Up to $600 in annual airline and hotel credits, plus a free night reward every year!
- Welcome bonus: 150,000 Hilton points (spend $6,000 in six months)
- Rewards: 14x on Hilton hotel purchases, 7x on flights, dining, and car rentals, and 3x on all other purchases
- Redemption: Redeemable at Hilton properties worldwide
- Annual fee: $550
- Apply now>>
Cash rates at Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund are not cheap year-round, and they get even more expensive on weekends, holidays, and during peak travel seasons. River-view rooms and suites are another step up in price. If you happen to run into high-rate dates, using Hilton points or a free night certificate usually makes it easier to get good value. For this stay, I was upgraded by one category to a Deluxe City View Room. I checked the rate and it was ￥3000+, so the free night certificate was definitely worthwhile.
I stayed as a Hilton Diamond member, and breakfast for two was included directly. Also, through an email Hilton sent me, I added the Waldorf Astoria welcome concierge. I felt this concierge had slightly more authority than the agent transferred through app chat, especially when it came to room upgrades. In the email, look for “add us on WeChat”; clicking it opens a WeChat QR code.
After chatting a bit, they upgraded me by one category and said that if a river-view room was available, I could switch to a river-view room.
Unfortunately, when I checked in that day, they said occupancy was high and the river-view rooms were already full. They assigned me a room where I could see the opposite bank.
Stay Experience
The hallway has a mix of Chinese and Western design elements, and it feels fairly elegant.
The door is also quite distinctive, with a thoughtful knocker detail.
Entryway
After entering the room, the first thing you see is a fairly wide foyer, with a closet, luggage rack, and minibar on the side. There is some distance between the entrance and the bedroom, which gives the room good privacy and avoids the situation where the bed is immediately visible as soon as the door opens.
The room also has a work desk, sofa, and sitting area.
Bathroom and Toilet
The bathroom is very spacious, with double sinks, a separate shower, a bathtub, and a separate toilet. Multiple people can use the space at the same time without getting in each other’s way. The marble and metal accents look fairly high-end, and the overall style is still more of a traditional luxury look.
The bathtub is a good size, and it felt very comfortable to soak for a while after spending the day walking around Shanghai.
Snacks and Sweets
The hotel also provided some complimentary snacks and sweets, likely as a Diamond member amenity.
Breakfast
Breakfast is mainly served at Grand Brasserie on the G floor of the new tower. The restaurant is not especially huge, and the decor continues the hotel’s classic style. There is also a small courtyard next to it, so the natural light is nice when the weather is good.
Overall, breakfast is mainly a Chinese and Western buffet. Common items such as bread, fruit, cold cuts, eggs, bacon, Chinese hot dishes, congee, noodles, and dim sum are basically all available. The variety is not wildly extensive, but it covers what you would expect, and the ingredients and execution are in line with what a luxury hotel should offer.
That said, I personally did not really like their breakfast. The noodles were pretty bad, and the broth felt like plain boiled water. The à la carte French toast and avocado toast were also just average. For breakfast, I only had two bowls of preserved egg and pork congee, ate some fruit, and left.
Pool and Gym
The hotel’s indoor pool, gym, and SPA are located in the new tower. The pool is honestly way too small; by my estimate, it is less than 20 meters long. The lifeguards were quite responsible, though, and would come down from time to time to remind kids to be careful and not get too rowdy. But for a Waldorf Astoria hotel, having such a small pool feels rather mismatched.
Things to Eat, Drink, and Do on the Bund
Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is very well located for first-time visitors to Shanghai. The hotel itself sits within the Bund’s historic building cluster, and most surrounding attractions can be reached on foot or by a short taxi ride.
The Bund is, of course, the most convenient option—the hotel is just across the street from the riverfront. I recommend walking it once in the morning and once at night: mornings have fewer tourists and are better for appreciating the architecture and taking photos, while evenings are mainly about the Lujiazui skyline lights and the Huangpu River night views.
If you enjoy architecture, you can take your time walking along the Bund. The Peace Hotel, HSBC Building, Customs House, and Bund Origin are all nearby. Many of these buildings are easier to appreciate in detail during the day, while they feel more atmospheric once lit up at night.
Conclusion
Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund is not a hotel that wins on the newest facilities. Some room features and public areas do show their age, and rates are usually not cheap.
That said, its location, Bund views, and century-old Club Building are genuinely hard for other hotels to replicate. In particular, when you walk from the modern new wing through Yi Ting into the old-Shanghai-style Club Building, you can clearly feel how different this hotel is from a typical urban luxury property.
If this is your first time in Shanghai, if you like historic architecture, or if you happen to have Hilton points and a free night certificate, this hotel is well worth experiencing once. When booking, I recommend prioritizing a river-view room; if your budget allows, you can also choose one of the historic suites in the Club Building for a more complete experience.
Overall, the hotel’s strengths and weaknesses are both very clear:
- Strengths: prime Bund location, classic Lujiazui river views, century-old historic building, and a distinctive hotel atmosphere.
- Weaknesses: high cash rates, some aging facilities, and heavy tourist crowds nearby during holidays.
It may not be the best hotel in Shanghai in terms of facilities or value, but it is definitely one of the luxury hotels with the most distinctly Shanghai character.
