InterContinental 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.

I'm currently abroad for work and couldn't be there to celebrate with her, so I remotely booked a room night plus a double dinner deal at this hotel. I wanted them to experience a local staycation, and the entire process exceeded my expectations in a delightful way! Service: Due to the time difference, and being worried my parents might encounter issues during check-in, I contacted the sales representative, Jennie, in advance. She was incredibly patient and meticulous throughout, answering all my questions, often even on weekend evenings. We had to adjust the check-in date and dinner choice, and she helped communicate everything immediately and seamlessly. A huge shoutout and thank you to Jennie here! My parents mentioned that the staff in other departments, from the front desk to the restaurant, were all polite and professional, especially friendly towards older guests. Check-in was smooth, and since it wasn't busy, they even got a slightly extended check-out time. Ambiance: My parents loved it! The room was spacious and comfortable, and fortunately, they were upgraded to a river view, which made it even more open and expansive. Dining: In the end, my parents chose the Western buffet. They enjoyed an amazing variety of seafood – they ate so much they 'had to be wheeled in and out' (a playful way of saying they ate until they were stuffed!) even at 70 years old 😂. The surrounding scenery is also beautiful, perfect for a leisurely stroll after dinner. When I used to work in Shanghai, I'd occasionally come here for international conferences, so it's suitable for various scenarios and different types of guests.

My mother had always wanted to visit the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, and we finally made it! Our whole family, young and old, came along. **Room Experience** We splurged 2200 for a room, which was upgraded to a 2900 Sapphire room (room number 808). It was right in the center of the hotel's curved facade, offering an excellent view! However, the room was very dusty. Dust kept blowing out of the air conditioner, and there were a lot of bugs. The moment we stepped onto the balcony, we saw all sorts of insects, and there was even a dead fly in the sink – quite disgusting. The hotel service was also a bit odd; they put a bottle of shampoo by the sink, and I assumed they mistook it for hand soap. Check-out was at 14:30, which was a nice bonus! **Dining Experience** We ate at three different restaurants over four meals. * **Fisherman's Wharf:** We had lunch here. They only offered set menus, 698 for two people. My husband, our child, and I shared one. It only included salad, soup, steak, and yogurt. The taste was mediocre, definitely not worth the price. It's the kind of place you visit once in a lifetime. It was slightly better than the one at Atlantis. * **The Source All-Day Dining:** We had the dinner buffet, 698 for two people. Children under 120cm were free. Honestly, there wasn't much to eat. My child had some sashimi and a few skewers, while I ended up eating a bowl of blanched greens. It would have been better to order takeout. * The **breakfast buffet** was definitely worth it. They had many live cooking stations: made-to-order omelets, ramen, Jianbing Guozi (savory crepes), and a station for blanched vegetables. * **Cai Feng Lou:** We had lunch here on our second day. There were various awards displayed at the entrance. We ordered a special lobster, cod, and some vegetables. I thought the cod was decent, but overall, the dishes were quite salty. However, this was indeed the best restaurant in the entire hotel. They even gave us a free dessert because they forgot one of our dishes. The bill was over 800 for three people – the best value for money! I also ordered takeout twice! You have to go to the hotel entrance to pick it up yourself, which is very inconvenient! I highly recommend takeout from Songjiang University Town – it's delicious and affordable! **Travel Photography** Booking a session was very difficult. They called me the day before, and the only slot left was Sunday morning at 9 AM. We got three free photos and a video. The shoot lasted 20 minutes, as we had to rush to breakfast. The final photos were good, and the editing was quite exaggerated. No one would guess I weigh 170 pounds! Hahahaha. #TravelingWithParents #SeniorFriendlyTravel #FamilyWithKids #InterContinentalShanghaiWonderland

Highly recommend the Premium room with club lounge access, it provides great value for money if you have enough time to try the: - afternoon tea (2pm - 4pm) includes tea/coffee and small sandwiches, cream cakes - early evening buffet and drinks (5.30pm - 8pm) includes an excellent selection of food and as much alcohol as you can drink! - free drinks voucher for the hotel bar You pretty much don’t need to leave the hotel! The room was comfy and had all amenities you could need. However it is showing its age and there were a few issues including the blind not closing properly but they fixed this. The other issue was the bathroom door not closing properly and making an awful sound. If you’re afraid of heights then I’d recommend you don’t walk in the atrium as it will cause vertigo! A brilliant option for Shanghai, the metro is a 5-10 minute walk away.

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.

The hotel service was excellent; they even surprised me with a small cake for my birthday check-in! On Saturday evening, we could watch the fireworks from the hotel's infinity pool, which offered an amazing view. Unfortunately, heavy fog obscured the spectacular fireworks this time, so I'll definitely have to come back. The breakfast was bountiful and offered a wide variety of choices. Overall, I was very satisfied with my stay, and it's perfect for a relaxing weekend getaway.