Shanghai's Hidden Gem: Hanting Premium Hotel Review (Wanda Plaza!)
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the rollercoaster that is the Hanting Premium Hotel (Wanda Plaza branch!) in Shanghai. Forget the perfectly curated travel blogs; this is the raw, unfiltered truth, sprinkled with a healthy dose of my own utterly subjective opinion. Get ready for a wild ride, because this review is gonna be… well, it's gonna be me.
First, the Basics (and a Bit of a Rambling Intro)
Alright, so you're in Shanghai. The city of dazzling lights, mind-blowing food, and enough history to make your head spin. You need a hotel. You think you want something "premium," something… well, something that doesn't break the bank and keeps you from wanting to scream into a pillow after a long day of getting lost in the metro. Enter: Hanting Premium Wanda Plaza. Or so I thought.
Accessibility: Okay, good news! The website says accessible. I didn't personally test the wheelchair access, so I'm relying on the info. But hey, if you need it, it's apparently said to be there. Check.
Internet Access (Because Let's Be Honest, We're All Addicted): Free WiFi in all rooms! YES. Thank GOD. The internet was… mostly dependable. Look, it's Shanghai. Things can go wonky. But for the most part, I could happily doom-scroll my nights away.
Rooms & Comfort: My Little Shanghainese Sanctuary (and a Mild Meltdown)
Okay, the rooms. Here’s where things got interesting. I’d booked a… well, I think what I booked was a room. It had air conditioning (thank you, sweet baby Jesus), and blackout curtains (even sweeter!), and a comfy bed. The bed… bless it! After a full day of dodging electric scooters and trying to decipher Mandarin menus, that bed was my best friend.
(Side note: I'd opted for a high floor, just for the view. And the views were pretty okay, but not jaw-dropping. Shanghai skyscrapers are beautiful but I only saw the skyline from the side.)
It had a separate shower and bathtub situation, which, for a budget hotel, is a win. The bathroom was clean, and the toiletries were… well, they existed. Don't expect luxury spa-level stuff, but it did the job.
Available in all rooms include: Air conditioning (Praise be!), a goddamn alarm clock (essential for getting your jet-lagged butt moving), a desk (to pretend to work), coffee/tea maker (needed!), complimentary tea, daily housekeeping (YES!), a hair dryer (thank you, again! My hair is a mess), an in-room safe box (always good!), internet, Ironing facilities (lifesaver!), a laptop workspace (again… pretending to work)… the usual. Check, check, check.
Now, here's the hiccup. The first night… I swear, I heard something scratching inside the walls. Yes, scratching. I texted the front desk (because, introvert), and they were very prompt. Bless them. It was probably… something. Honestly, a squirrel? A tiny, ambitious rat? I don’t know. But after that, I slept with the lights on. Minor heart attack averted.
Cleanliness and Safety: Feeling Safe But Slightly Paranoid (My Fault)
The hotel seemed clean. Seriously. The staff was diligent about hygiene certification and daily disinfection in common areas. Hand sanitizer stations were everywhere. They even had individually-wrapped food options at the breakfast buffet. The hotel was taking the pandemic seriously (much appreciated!), with staff trained in safety protocol. Room sanitization opt-out available. Sanitized kitchen and tableware items. Shared stationery removed. CCTV in common areas. CCTV outside property. Front desk [24-hour]. Doorman. Security [24-hour]. Smoke alarms. Fire extinguisher. I mean they had everything.
But still, that scratching… Maybe it was just me. I’m prone to a bit of paranoia. Sigh
Food, Glorious Food (and My Breakfast Mishap)
Let’s talk food, the true beating heart of any trip.
Dining, drinking, and snacking: They had Asian cuisine in restaurant, a breakfast[buffet]. A coffee shop (essential!), desserts in restaurant, a snack bar. Room service [24-hour]. Restaurants. Buffet in restaurant.
Breakfast was included, a welcome perk. But… well, it was a buffet. Asian breakfast and Western breakfast. The buffet was… fine. The coffee was… well, it was available. Let’s just say I developed a new appreciation for instant coffee packets in my room.
I tried the desserts in restaurant one night. Oh. My. God. I ate like three of them. My waistline hated me but my tastebuds were screaming in joy. They had soup in restaurant I didn’t get to try, however.
Alternative meal arrangement were available. I didn't need one, but nice to know.
Services & Conveniences: The "They Thought of Everything" Category
Services and conveniences: Air conditioning in public area, Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Facilities for disabled guests, Food delivery, Gift/souvenir shop, Ironing service, Laundry service, Luggage storage, Safety deposit boxes.
The service was surprisingly good. Got my laundry done, no problem. The concierge helped me track down a decent map (because, again, I’m directionally challenged). The staff was friendly and helpful, despite my limited Mandarin (and their limited English, bless them).
Things to Do & Ways to Relax - or Don't! (My Personal Verdict)
Ways to relax: Massage. Spa. Spa/sauna. Fitness center.
Okay, I did NOT indulge in the spa. I’m not exactly a spa person. I’m more of a “wander around until my feet ache” kind of traveler. But the fitness center looked… well-equipped. So, if you're into that stuff, go for it.
Getting Around (aka My Near-Death Experiences in Traffic)
Getting around: Airport transfer. Taxi service. Car park [free of charge]. Valet parking.
Getting around Shanghai is an adventure. The hotel's location near Wanda Plaza means easy access to the metro (thank goodness), which is your saving grace. I used the taxi service one time. Never again. Seriously, the traffic. Use the metro, trust me.
The Verdict (and My Slightly Unhinged Recommendation)
Look, Hanting Premium isn't the Ritz. But for the price, the location (Wanda Plaza is a major plus!), and the overall experience, it's a solid choice. It's clean (mostly), comfortable, and the staff is friendly. It's a basecamp. A convenient, surprisingly comfy basecamp for exploring the madness and magic of Shanghai.
Final, honest assessment: Would I stay there again? Maybe. If I needed a good base in a great location and wasn't terrified by a little bit of a scratching sound, then absolutely.
Now, the Offer That Sells It (Finally, the Pitch!)
Tired of cookie-cutter hotels that bleed you dry? Craving a Shanghai adventure without the budget-breaking price tag?
Book your stay at the Hanting Premium Hotel (Wanda Plaza branch) in Shanghai and get:
- Free High-Speed Wi-Fi: (Seriously, essential!) Stay connected, share your amazing photos (and your complaints, let's be honest), and plan your next adventure.
- Prime Location: Right near Wanda Plaza! Easy access to the metro, shops, restaurants, and all the Shanghai awesomeness you can handle.
- Clean, Comfortable Rooms: Relax after a long day of exploring (preferably in a room without scratching noises, fingers crossed!).
- A Surprisingly Good Breakfast: Kick-start your day with a buffet that will (mostly) satisfy your hunger.
- Friendly Staff: Ready to help you navigate the language barrier and make your stay as smooth as possible.
- And, let's face it, it doesn't break the bank: A reasonable price tag that leaves you with more money for those delicious Shanghai dumplings!
But wait, there's more! For a limited time, use code "SHANGHAIADVENTURE" at checkout and get a FREE bottle of water and a complimentary late check-out (subject to availability). Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!
Click here to book your Shanghai adventure at the Hanting Premium Hotel (Wanda Plaza branch) today!
P.S. If you hear scratching… just politely ask the front desk. And maybe sleep with the lights on. You’ll thank me later.
Unbelievable Luxury Awaits: Hanting Hotel Changzhou - Jiangnan Global Port Escape!
Okay, buckle up buttercup. This isn't your sterile, itinerary-bot. This is…me, in Shanghai, at the Hanting Premium Hotel Shanghai Jiangqiao Wanda, probably fueled entirely by instant noodles and regret (just kidding… mostly). Let's get messy. Let's get real. Let's go.
Shanghai Shenanigans: A Semi-Coherent Itinerary (and a Dash of Existential Dread)
Day 1: Arrival, Jet Lag, and a Quest for Decent Coffee
- 14:00 - Okay, Officially Here. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) Landed! Holy cow, that flight felt like it lasted a lifetime. Passport control? Smooth as… well, let's just say my face got a very close inspection.
- 15:00 - Metro Madness. The metro is a beast. No, really. I'm convinced it's a living organism that feeds on bewildered tourists. Figuring out the lines was a trial by fire. I might have gotten on the wrong train… twice. But hey, at least I experienced some local culture, right? (Translation: I stared blankly at a lot of Chinese characters and hoped for the best.)
- 16:30 - Hanting Premium Check-In (and the Quest Continues). Found the hotel! Pretty standard, clean enough, slightly soul-crushing beige. My room? Small. My view? A brick wall. But the shower works! (Small victories, people, small victories.) Now, the absolute emergency: Coffee. My brain is basically sludge. Wandering around the Wanda Plaza… searching… pleading with the gods of caffeine.
- 18:00 - Coffee Found! (Or, at Least, Something Drinkable). Finally, a tiny little cafe tucked away in a corner. The coffee isn't exactly artisanal, but…it's brown, it's warm, and it has caffeine. Praise be! Sipping this miracle elixir and watching the world go by… everyone seems to be rushing, everyone is talking but it's all like some background noise. It's hypnotic and weird.
- 19:00 - Dinner Debacle (and Instant Noodles). Okay, so attempting to order food at a local restaurant was an exercise in futility. Pointing at pictures, miming eating… yeah, it was a disaster. Ended up with something… spicy. Way too spicy. My mouth is still on fire. The emergency backup plan: Instant noodles from the hotel room. Comfort food, and I'm definitely not judging myself.
- 20:00 - Crash and Burn (Jet Lag Edition). Lights out. I’m already dreaming of a comfortable bed that's not this one.
Day 2: The Bund, Fake Goods, and a Very Long Walk
- 09:00 - Wake Up! (Or, Attempt to). The jet lag is still punching me in the face. But, gotta power through!
- 10:00 - A Metro Mishap, Continued. Got on the wrong train again. Someone help me.
- 11:00 - The Bund (Finally!). Okay, wow. The skyline is seriously impressive. The buildings look like they're straight out of a sci-fi movie. I stood there gaping like a fish for a good five minutes. The people… well, there are a lot of people. Shoulder-to-shoulder, shuffling along, taking selfies… a glorious, chaotic mess.
- 12:00 - Lunch: Dim Sum Delight. Found a dim sum place. Steaming baskets of… heavenly dumplings! I have no idea what I ordered, but it was delicious. Every bite was a tiny little explosion of flavor.
- 13:00 - Shopping Shenanigans (and Price Haggling Fail). Nanjing Road! The main shopping street! It's… intense. Lights, noise, people everywhere. I gave into the temptations of a "Rolex" watch. Maybe… a little. The guy selling them was extremely persistent. I tried to haggle. I probably looked like a complete idiot. Got maybe 10% off, which is honestly better than I expected.
- 15:00 - The Long, Painful Walk. Decided to walk all the way back to the hotel from Nanjing Road. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was not. My feet are screaming. I am pretty sure I wandered into some side streets, and who knows what was there.
- 17:00 - Back To The Hotel. Collapse. More instant noodles. (I swear, I'll eat something healthy tomorrow.)
- 18:00 - Attempted Chinese Lesson. Tried to learn a few basic Mandarin phrases. Failed miserably. I'm pretty sure I just offended a complete stranger.
- 19:00 - Reflective Shower. The only time and place I have to be alone. It's a weird comfort.
Day 3: Yu Garden, Tea Ceremony, and Epic Street Food (My Feet Are Still Screaming)
- 10:00 - Yu Garden (And the Crowds). The garden is beautiful, it's serene, and also, jam-packed with tourists. (Including me, I'm realizing.) The architecture is gorgeous, the ponds are filled with koi, and the whole place is utterly charming. But the pushing and shoving… well, let's just say I've developed a new appreciation for personal space.
- 11:30 - Tea Ceremony (and Zen-Like Calm… Eventually). Found a tea house nestled in the garden. The tea master was incredibly graceful, the tea itself was amazing. I relaxed. For a few minutes.
- 13:00 - Street Food Feast! Oh. Em. Gee. The explosion of flavors! I ate a fried baozi, some skewers, some weird-looking, but delicious, pancake-thingy. I may or may not have accidentally consumed a chili pepper that nearly blew the top of my head off. Worth it.
- 15:00 - The Metro Again. And This Time, I Won! A moment of victory! I found my line, I got on the right train, and I even managed to change lines without getting completely lost. Progress!
- 16:00 - Wanda Plaza Redux (and a Desperate Plea for Comfort). Back at the Wanda Plaza, seeking solace in the familiar. Found a… foot massage place. (My feet are seriously regretting all this walking.) The masseuse was a tiny, powerful woman who almost rearranged my bones, but my feet feel… better. A little.
- 18:00 - Farewell Dinner (and Questionable Choices). Trying a restaurant nearby… the menu is written in some language I can't define. I blindly point at a picture. It's…interesting. Not bad. But strange.
- 19:30 - Packing (and the Sad Realization). Time to pack. I have accumulated a strange collection of souvenirs, a slightly larger waistline, and a deep appreciation for comfortable shoes.
- 20:00 - Another Shower (and Contemplating Life's Meaning). Seriously, I just like the only place I'm really alone.
- 22:00 - Goodnight (From Shanghai!).
Day 4: Goodbye, Shanghai. Until next time!
This isn't a polished travelogue. It's a glimpse into a real, messy, sometimes hilarious, and utterly human adventure. Shanghai is a whirlwind. It’s overwhelming, exhilarating, and exhausting all at once. And despite the jet lag, the questionable food choices, and the constant threat of getting lost on the metro, I’m already missing it. Until next time, Shanghai. You magnificent, complex, slightly-crazy city, you.
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Hanting Premium Shanghai (Wanda Plaza!) - The Truth, No Filter (Probably)
Okay, first things first: Is this place ACTUALLY a "premium" experience? Because I've seen the word "premium" used loosely...
Alright, let's be real. "Premium" is a loaded word, right? It's like, are we talking Ritz-Carlton premium? Definitely not. Think… slightly above budget, with aspirations. The Hanting Premium is more like "aspirational comfort." It’s clean. It’s modern-ish. It has a vaguely designer feel... but the devil, as always, is in the details. My first impression? "Well, this isn't a total dump." Success? Maybe.
Anecdote: I walked in, exhausted after a 14-hour flight and the first thing I noticed was the lobby's aircon. Glorious. That alone nudged it slightly into 'premium-adjacent' territory.
The location - Wanda Plaza! What's the deal? Is it convenient or a chaotic concrete jungle? Spill the tea.
Wanda Plaza… it's a double-edged sword, folks. On one hand, EVERYTHING is right there. Food? Check. Shopping? Check. Movie theater? Check. You could *literally* live in the hotel and the Wanda Plaza and survive. Food options range from the sublime (I found an amazing noodle place!) to the…questionable (stay away from the suspiciously cheap "western" food, trust me).
But. There is a "but." It's a *Wanda Plaza*. Which means… crowds. Loudness. Endless neon signs. And trying to navigate the place when you're jet-lagged? Forget about it. My sense of direction deserts me. I wandered around, lost in a maze of shops for a good hour thinking I was going to find the reception after a quick bathroom visit. I didn't. I found a bubble tea shop instead. No regrets.
Verdict: Super convenient, potentially overwhelming. Bring a friend and a strong sense of humor. And maybe a map.
The room itself – what's the vibe? Clean? Cozy? Like it’s been used as a frat house?
Okay, the room. This is where we decide whether we're going to *actually* like the place. It’s…clean. Really. Remarkably clean. No suspicious stains, no lingering smells (apart from the faint, generic hotel air freshener, which, thankfully, is a welcome thing in a china hotel). The design is minimalist modern, which I appreciate. Think light wood, some cool lighting… and a TV that's probably smarter than I am.
The Imperfection: The walls are a little thin. I could hear the couple next door, um, *enthusiastically* enjoying their stay. Which, you know, good for them. Not ideal for a good night’s sleep. Earplugs are your friend here. They are a *necessity*
Emotional Response: Relief! I just *really* wanted a clean room and it was indeed that.
The Bathroom - The ultimate dealbreaker. How is the water pressure? Is there a shower curtain that actually contains the water? Spill it!
Oh, the bathroom. This is serious business. The water pressure? Surprisingly good! I mean, I've stayed in places where a drizzle felt like a luxury. Here, you could actually *wash* the jet lag off. Shower curtain? Yes, and it did its job, mostly. Occasional escaping splash, but I'd give it a solid 8/10.
Quirky Observation: The toiletries... I remember being thrilled to discover a comb! I’m a dude with short hair! Why did I get so excited about a comb? It’s a mystery of the human condition, I guess.
Ah, the toilet paper...It was there! And, it was…sufficient. No complaints on this front.
Emotional Reaction: Okay, the water pressure was good, there was hot water: YES! This is a solid win.
Breakfast - Is it worth the extra cost? Or is it just sad eggs and mystery sausage?
Breakfast. The eternal hotel breakfast dilemma. Honestly? It's not the *best* breakfast I've ever had, but it's also not the worst. There was a decent selection of both Western and Chinese options. Some seriously questionable sausages, I'll admit. But I *did* load up on some tasty dumplings and congee. They had a toast machine that was decent.
Messier Structure: The coffee was…coffee. Nothing to write home about, but drinkable. I'm not a coffee snob, so I was okay. But here's the thing: If I'm honest, the best breakfast options for my taste buds are literally in the Wanda Plaza. There's a bakery with amazing pastries.
Verdict: Convenient, but not stellar. If you're a picky eater, or you're a breakfast enthusiast, explore Wanda Plaza. You'll find something *much* better.
The Staff - Were they helpful or did they just stare blankly? Tell us the truth!
The staff... They were *mostly* helpful. English proficiency varies. Some spoke decent English, some spoke… less. But they were always friendly and tried their best. The real challenge? They're helpful, in that "doing their job" kind of way. No one went above and beyond, but they weren't rude or incompetent. Finding a taxi? No problem. Questions about nearby attractions? They'd try to answer, even if the language barrier was a little…tricky.
Anecdote/Imperfection: I tried to extend my stay by one night at the front desk. It was a bit of a comedy of errors with the language barrier. I finally just held up one finger and kept repeating "one night!" Eventually, we got there. It was a victory!
Verdict: Fine. Functional. Not the most memorable staff, but they got the job done.
Value for Money - Would you stay there again? Be brutal!
Okay, the big question: Would I stay there again? Honestly? Yeah, probably. Considering the location, the cleanliness, and the overall "not-a-total-disaster" vibe, it's a decent option. The price was reasonable, especially for the location.
Strong Emotional Reaction (Good): It was a relief. A clean, comfortable, and conveniently located oasis in Shanghai.
Opinionated Language: My advice? If you're looking for a reliable, reasonably priced hotel near the action and don't mind navigating a Wanda Plaza, give Hanting Premium a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised. Just bring earplugs, and maybe a phrasebook.
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