The Best Hotels to Book on Nanjing Road

This five-star hotel is made up of two towers – one art deco, the other brutalist – and a dazzling array of chic public spaces cohere the property. The Shanghai EDITION features 145 luxurious suites, five meeting studios, two forums, plus a wide range of food and beverage outlets. These include a Japanese restaurant on the 27th floor, a Cantonese eatery with five private dining rooms and two rooftop bars with sweeping views over the historic Bund area.

This five-star property was the first Four Seasons to open in China – a glistening skyscraper built amid the traditional shikumen architecture at the west end of Nanjing Road. The 422 guest rooms deliver all the top-drawer amenities guests have come to expect of the Four Seasons, including the opulent Qin spa, the landscaped pool terrace and Michelin-star Chinese cuisine at Si Ji Xuan.

The Grand Central’s gold-themed bedrooms and marble bathrooms give guests an indication of the luxury they can look forward to at this five-star hotel. The property features 353 gilt-edged rooms, world-class meeting rooms, a palatial grand ballroom, a large indoor pool and two mouthwatering dining options: authentic French fare at L’Île de France and contemporary Cantonese cuisine at Bo Yuet Hin.

Sitting squarely on the Bund, this five-star hotel adds a splash of European elegance to the Shanghai riverfront. The Waldorf Astoria occupies the immaculately restored Neoclassical Shanghai Club building, a century-old property with new-millennium amenities – we’re talking personal concierges, two modern restaurants and a heated indoor pool, a menu of treatments available at the Waldorf Astoria Spa, and the award-winning 34m (110ft) Long Bar with peerless views of the water.

If you want to stay smack bang in the middle of Nanjing Road, then book a bed at this dependable four-star hotel. The Sofitel Shanghai Hyland is situated halfway between the Bund and People’s Square in the heart of Shanghai’s thriving shopping precinct, providing guests in its 383 rooms with access to three restaurants, two bars, a full-service spa, a fitness centre and a scenic rooftop terrace.

Inhabiting a lavish art-deco building that dates back to the 1930s, this five-star property is the premier boutique hotel in the Nanjing Road precinct. The Yangtze’s 96 rooms all feature balconies overlooking the skyline, along with a 24-hour fitness centre and spa services to pamper guests around the clock. The location is also enviable: it’s just steps from People’s Square and Shanghai’s hottest shops.

This 26-floor tower pierces the Shanghai skyline with its signature golden crown, providing five-star luxury to guests with 570 ultra-modern rooms. Dining and wellness are two of the Westin’s biggest draw cards – the fitness centre contains an indoor heated pool, outdoor pool, tennis court, gym and aerobics centre, while there are three restaurants to choose from for dinner.

These 165 four-star suites occupy the quarters of a former bank, but the rooms aren’t short on character. This stylish boutique hotel has witnessed Nanjing Road’s transformation into one of the world’s elite shopping precincts over recent years and now offers guests a front-row seat to the world-class retail action with state-of-the-art amenities and a central location.