Shanghai: Grand Mercure Zhongya Shanghai, Shanghai Railway Station

Grand Mercure Zhongya Shanghai

We availed our free night from our Accor Advantage Card and chose this Accor hotel over Sofitel Hyland due to the excellent reviews in tripadvisor. The upgrade to executive room is cheap at RMB175.00/night (USD28.00/night) and is well worth it! The upgrade includes breakfast in the main restaurant, executive lounge access for two and in-room wifi access. Personally, I think this hotel is bang for the buck! During the time I made the booking, the hotel is running a 50% off on their suites which you can easily snag at USD120.00/night inclusive of tax. If not for the free night I have from my Accor card, I could have paid for a suite.

The location of this hotel is not walking distance to the Shanghai tourist places but Metro Station Line 1 is literally just outside the hotel. In 3 metro stops for less than 10 minutes, you are already in the heart of the city center People’s Square. If you are transferring to another city, this hotel is very convenient as the Shanghai Railway Station is just behind. There are also 24-hour fast food restaurants within the hotel building block to satisfy your midnight snack cravings.

For a 3 star hotel, the decor from the lobby to the room is fancy and elegant. Beds are soft and have 400 thread count sheets. Front desk staff is proficient in English. The only gripe about my stay is that we were given a smaller room than what I’ve expected especially that I’ve paid for a room upgrade. This could be the downside of arriving past 12 in the midnight when all better rooms have been allotted for during day time. Our room is located in the corner of 23^rd floor and I think one lesson learned here is to request for a room which is not in the corner if staying in this hotel. It is also important to know that the air-conditioning system is centralized and the room temperature can be warm during an unseasonably warm winter.

The executive lounge access is big and cozy. You have the option to take your breakfast here or in the main restaurant. The executive lounge also offers happy hour from 5-8pm when snacks and drinks are served. The breakfast in the main restaurant has a wide spread of Chinese and Western cuisine. The food quality is good but nothing remarkable. For the price of this hotel, brand new rooms, excellent lounge and service meeting expectations, you just cannot fault anything.