Shanghai's Hidden Gem: Atour Hotel Pudong - Unbelievable Luxury!
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because I'm about to spill the tea (or maybe the baijiu, given we're talking Shanghai) on Shanghai's Hidden Gem: the Atour Hotel Pudong. Forget fancy brochures and polished press releases; THIS is the real deal. Let's get messy. Let's get real. And let's see if this hotel lives up to the "Unbelievable Luxury" hype.
(SEO Snippet/Intro: Shanghai Hotel Review: Atour Hotel Pudong - Luxury, Accessible, and Amazing! Experience the best of Shanghai with Atour's top-rated amenities, including free Wi-Fi, a fantastic spa, delicious dining, and accessible facilities.)
First off, finding a decent hotel can be a minefield. You hop on a plane, you're jet lagged, you're surrounded by a language you don't know, and suddenly, you're staring at a tiny, dingy room that looks NOTHING like the pictures online. But the Atour Pudong? Nope. This place seriously throws the hotel rulebook out the window.
Accessibility: (Let's Get Real About This)
Okay, so I'm not a wheelchair user myself, but accessibility is HUGE for me. One of my friends, Sarah, is a wheelchair user, and she'd flip out if a place says they're accessible but then has a ridiculous ramp or a bathroom that's barely big enough to turn around in.
- Wheelchair Accessible? Good news! Atour seems to be doing this right. I noticed elevators that could actually fit a wheelchair AND a person (shocking, I know), and the hallways were wide. My notes say something about "ramps that didn't want to kill you" - a huge plus.
- Facilities for Disabled Guests: This goes hand-in-hand with the above. It seemed like they'd thought about the little things, which is what makes the difference.
Cleanliness and Safety: (Because, You Know, Pandemic Times)
Look, post-pandemic, we're all a bit germ-averse, yeah?
- Hygiene Certification: Probably, because everything felt clean. I'm a bit of a clean freak (admit it, you are too), and I didn't get the heebie-jeebies once.
- Daily Disinfection in Common Areas: Check.
- Room Sanitization Opt-Out Available: That's a nice touch. Some of us just want to live in a bubble of our own germs, and I respect that.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: I assume, because I didn't fall ill.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere. A veritable ocean of Purell.
- Individually-wrapped food options: For breakfast.
- Safe Dining Setup: Definitely. Things felt spaced out, and staff wore masks.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Seemed like it!
Rooms: (Where the Magic Happens - Or Doesn't)
Alright, the rooms. This is where Atour really shines.
- Available in All Rooms: Okay, this section is a mega-dump, so I'm going to pick and choose…
- Air conditioning: Essential in Shanghai.
- Free Wi-Fi: Duh, but it was reliable.
- Air conditioning: A lifesaver.
- Blackout curtains: Sleep is key or you're not going to experience a proper Shanghai night life.
- Coffee/tea maker: This is how you win my heart.
- Extra long bed: Finally! A bed that doesn't feel like a tiny coffin. I could actually sprawl!
- Bathrobes: YES. And they were fluffy.
- Bathtub: YES, more places to relax.
- Closet: I had a closet!
- Daily housekeeping: Your room will be pristine daily.
- Desk: For when you need to pretend to work.
- Hair dryer: Standard.
- In-room safe box: Secure your things.
- Mini bar: Drinks and snacks are always a win.
- Non-smoking: Good.
- Private bathroom: Necessary.
- Refrigerator: Handy for keeping water cold.
- Separate shower/bathtub: Luxury feels.
- Slippers: A necessity to me.
- Smoke detector: Safety first (and the hotel actually care about this!).
- Soundproofing: Shanghai is loud. You'll appreciate this.
- Telephone: For room service, obviously.
- Toiletries: High quality.
- TV: I can't remember if I turned on the TV.
- Umbrella: Shanghai weather is unpredictable.
(Rant Break – A little thing that bugged me)
Speaking of unpredictable weather, the only minor complaint I have is that the window in my room didn't open. I like fresh air sometimes! Minor quibble. Other than that, the rooms were gorgeous, well equipped, and felt properly luxurious.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: (Fueling Your Shanghai Adventures)
This is where Atour really steps up its game. I mean the buffet breakfast? Chef's kiss.
- Breakfast [buffet]: HEAVEN. A HUGE spread of Asian and Western options. Seriously, I'm talking everything. Noodles, dim sum, pastries, bacon, eggs… you name it, they had it. I may have eaten my weight in xiaolongbao every morning. Totally worth it.
- Asian cuisine in restaurant: Yes, there's a restaurant, and the food was excellent. I got a solid bowl of noodles.
- International cuisine in restaurant: And yes, there's an international menu.
- Coffee shop: So you can fuel up.
- Room service [24-hour]: This is a must for any stay.
- Happy hour: I think… I think I remember a happy hour. It was a blur of cocktails.
- Restaurants: Yep. Plenty.
- Bar: Yes.
- Poolside bar: Probably, if the pool hadn't been under renovation.
- Desserts in restaurant: Delicious!
- Soup in restaurant: Warm your belly.
(Anecdote that captures the essence of the hotel's vibe)
Okay, I need to tell you about the breakfast. Seriously. I’m a serial overeater, and there, amidst the dim sum, the fresh fruit, and the custom-made omelets, I encountered a small problem. I ate too much. I was so stuffed I could barely move. Wandering back to my room with a full stomach, I had a moment. I looked at the fluffy bathrobe hanging on the door and thought, “This is what life is all about.” Pure, unadulterated, slightly-overfed joy. That's the Atour in a nutshell.
Things to Do and Ways to Relax: (Spa-aaaah!)
Now, this is what sets Atour over the top.
- Spa/sauna: Yes, yes, and yes.
- Massage: Had one. It was AMAZING. The perfect cure for jet lag.
- Steamroom: Relaxing.
- Sauna: Relaxing.
- Pool with view: I'm pretty sure it was open!
- Swimming pool: (Outdoor)
- Fitness center: For when you feel guilty about the breakfast.
- Body scrub/Body wrap: Ah, yes.
- Foot bath: Perfect.
(My Very Honest Emotional Reaction)
Listen, I'm not one for frou-frou, but the spa was incredible. Seriously. I had a massage that made my whole body go "ahhhhh." I swear, I think I napped during parts of it. The pool looked amazing, but it was closed, which, okay, fair. But the rest of it? Pure bliss. This hotel is built for relaxation. I left feeling utterly pampered.
Services and Conveniences:
- Concierge: Super helpful.
- Daily housekeeping: See above.
- Laundry service/Dry cleaning/Ironing service: They did my laundry. It came back smelling fresh. Good work!
- Currency exchange: No problem.
- Elevator: Nice.
- Luggage storage: For your stuff.
- Room service: Convenient.
- Air conditioning in the public area: Shanghai gets HOT.
- Business facilities: I didn't use them.
- Wi-Fi for special events: Didn't do this, I was on holiday.
- Car park: No problem.
- Taxi Service: They can get you a car.
- Food Delivery: Handy for late nights.
Getting Around:
- Airport transfer: They do it, perfect.
- Car park: Free
Okay, buckle up buttercup, because this isn't your sanitized, Instagram-filtered travel guide. This is me, raw and unfiltered, wrestling with the dragon of Shanghai and its Pudong suburb, specifically, the Atour Hotel in Caolu. Prepare for some rambling, some love, some loathing, and a whole lotta questionable decisions made in the name of "cultural immersion."
Shanghai Shenanigans: Atour Hotel Edition - A Messy Itinerary (ish)
Day 1: Arrival and the Sweet Release of Air Conditioning (Plus a Soup Dumpling Catastrophe)
- 14:00 - Arrival Disaster: So, the flight. Let's just say I was a walking embodiment of "jet lag chic" when I finally stumbled out of the Pudong airport. Dragging my suitcase, feeling the humid embrace of Shanghai. The Atour Hotel in Caolu… well, it's not the Ritz, but sweet merciful air conditioning. That was the first victory. Find the check-in desk, navigate the initial language barrier (thank god for Google Translate!), and collapse into my rather… compact room. Honestly, I’d seen bigger walk-in closets. But hey, it's clean, and AC!
- 15:30 - Quest for Food (and Avoiding the Hangry Monster): Right, food. I was starving. The hotel restaurant looked… underwhelming. Adventure time! I ventured out, armed with a half-baked map and the vague hope of finding some authentic Shanghai eats. Found a tiny dumpling place down a side street. Looked promising. Ordered a glorious-looking basket of soup dumplings (xiaolongbao). First bite: pure heaven. Second bite: disaster. The soup exploded, scalding my tongue, and sending a spray of hot, greasy broth all over me. Face. Clothes. Everything. Look at you, Shanghai, first impressions are wild. Learned a valuable lesson: let the dumplings cool. And maybe bring a bib.
- 17:00 - Settling In (and Panic Buying Snacks): Back at the hotel, slightly singed and humiliated. Decided to embrace the "hotel room nest" vibe. Bought a ridiculously large bag of potato chips from a nearby convenience store. Because sometimes, you just need to wallow in salty, crunchy goodness. Spent the rest of the afternoon staring at the blinking red light of the fire alarm (which turned out to be a normal, non-ominous state of being in China) and trying to decipher the Mandarin channels on the TV. Hint: It was beyond me.
- 19:00 - Dinner Round 2 (and a Taste of the Local Brew): Bravely ventured out again. Found a slightly more upscale restaurant. Ordered a spicy noodle dish. Delicious. And, crucially, did not explode on me. Decided to try a local beer. Tasted like… well, beer. But the feeling of being there, sipping a local brew, after a soup dumpling incident? Pure, unadulterated travel magic. Even when I'm a walking, talking, dumpling-broth-stained disaster.
- 21:00 - Bedtime and Jet Lag Induced Existential Dread: Lights out. Sleeping. Or attempting to sleep. Jet lag is a cruel mistress. Woke up at 3:00 AM, convinced I’d accidentally summoned a demon. Spoiler alert: I didn't. Just the jet lag monster wreaking havoc on my sleep schedule.
Day 2: The Caolu Catacombs (aka: The Local Mall Experience) and a Deep Dive into Tea
- 09:00 - Breakfast (and a Questionable Coffee): The hotel breakfast was, let's say, functional. The coffee tasted like faintly coffee-flavored water. But hey, at least there was some scrambled eggs! I ate them, I drank the water, and was ready to face another day.
- 10:00 - Caolu Mall Adventure: A Suburban Odyssey: Okay, so Caolu isn't exactly the heart of Shanghai. It's suburban. But that's also part of the fun, right? I decided to explore the local mall. And this is where things got interesting. It's a sprawling, multi-story complex of shops, restaurants, and… well, let's just say I wandered into a store selling what appeared to be a bewildering array of beauty products that looked like they could be potions. I also discovered a karaoke place with sound-proof booths. Tempting, very tempting. Resisted the urge for now.
- 12:00 - Lunch Fails (and a Glimmer of Hope): Lunch in the mall was… an experience. Ended up in a food court. The menu was entirely in Mandarin. Pointed at a picture. Got something that tasted… okay? I'm learning. Slowly. But then, I did see a restaurant that appeared to be a dumpling version of paradise. Had a delightful lunch. A proper redemption.
- 14:00 - A Tea Ceremony: Serenity Now? Found a little tea shop off a side street, a haven from the mall madness. Signed up for a tea ceremony. This. Was. Amazing. The woman who ran the shop was incredibly patient as she explained the different types of tea, the proper way to brew it, and the (very) calming benefits. The tea was exquisite and so different from what I'd been drinking. It was a real grounding experience. Almost made me forget about the dumpling incident of Day 1. Almost.
- 16:00 - Wandering and Observation: Strolled around Caolu town. Watched people go about their day. The city is amazing but to sit and just observe, especially in a rather quiet area, is an equally amazing experience. I saw a gaggle of elderly men playing Mahjong with a furious intensity. Felt the very real fear of getting lost in translation while trying to buy a bottle of water (successful!).
- 19:00 - Dinner and the Karaoke Temptation: Back at the hotel, slightly pooped. Decided it was time to get more "authentic" so I sought out local restaurants. Stumbled upon a restaurant with a queue out the door. Ordered a plate of noodles and a plate of veggies. No language barriers and plenty of delicious flavor. The karaoke place in the mall was calling to me. The siren song of questionable singing abilities. I'm not a karaoke person. But I'm tempted. Maybe tomorrow. Or maybe I'll just run.
- 21:00 - Bedtime and the Ongoing Battle with Jet Lag: More struggling with sleep. The siren song of the karaoke place is still rattling round my brain. The temptation is very strong.
Day 3: Shanghai Proper! A Dash of History and the Dreaded Traffic.
08:00 - A Quick Breakfast and Planning the Day: At this point I had had enough of hotel breakfasts and went to street food. But I was running late. Decided I'd head out of the Caolu area for the day and venture closer to the city proper.
09:00 - The Subway and the Great Escape: Navigating the Shanghai metro. It was a little confusing, but once I figured out the ticketing system, super efficient and easy. Got on with the crowds and off I went.
10:30 - The Bund: Finally, Shanghai! The Bund, the famed waterfront area. Got to see the iconic skyline. Walked along the river. The architecture is stunning. The crowds? Less stunning. Still, a must-see.
12:30 - Lunch and the Art of Haggling (and the food was so good). Found a little noodle shop. Practiced my incredibly broken Mandarin to order. Succeeded! Was rewarded with a delicious bowl of noodles. After, I decided to test my skills when I wanted to buy a souvenir. I haggled, I bartered, and I maybe got ripped off slightly. But it was fun, right?
14:00 - A Historic Stroll: Wandered through one of the old colonial areas. Got lost. Delighted in getting lost. Found a tea-house in a traditional building.
16:00 - Traffic Hell: Decided to go back to the hotel. Mistake. The traffic was absolute madness. The buses were crammed. The honking never stopped. I'd rather walk.
18:00 - Dinner and Karaoke Panic: Returned to the hotel. Decided to order in food after my traffic experience and the lingering karaoke temptation. Decided not to go because I wanted to sleep instead.
21:00 - Packing and Departure Fears: Tomorrow, it's off to the airport. Feeling a mix of sadness and relief. This trip has been a whirlwind of messy moments and unexpected joy. I'm leaving with a suitcase full of memories, a slightly singed tongue, and a newfound appreciation for
Atour Hotel Pudong: Unbelievable Luxury - Or Is It? (My Honest FAQ - Buckle Up!)
Okay, okay, *unbelievable* luxury? Really? Lay it on me. Is Atour Pudong all hype?
Tell me about the rooms. Are they worth the price tag? Because, let’s face it, Shanghai isn't cheap.
What about the food? Did it live up to the hype? (Because I'm all about food.)
How's the location? Is it actually in Pudong, or is it "Pudong-adjacent"? Because I've been fooled before.
What's the service like? Are the staff helpful? Because hotel staff can make or break a trip, right?
Okay, so, the million-dollar question: Would you go back?
Disclaimer: My experience is based purely on personal opinion, a slight obsession with pancakes, and an ongoing battle with my own clumsiness.Hotel Search Trek
