Review: Stay at the Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel near The Bund in Shanghai
During a recent trip, I stayed at the Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel near The Bund in Shanghai. The hotel was in a rather convenient location as it was a 10-minute walk from the Nanjing East subway station. It is also a 10-minute walk from The Bund, but that meant that Nanjing Road, which the Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel is located on, was very crowded. There were several occasions, both in the afternoon and evening where pedestrians were asked to walk on one side of the road in a single direction, similar to the approach for cars.
The Location
As shared, the Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel is located on Nanjing Road, which is a very busy street. What is amazing is that the hotel is constructed such that you don’t hear noise from the street at all. While it is of walking distance from The Bund, there aren’t that many affordable good bars located in the vicinity. It’s not very convenient if you’re looking for a spot with vibrant nightlife.
For food, we were glad that there was a pretty good Shanghainese restaurant (the Shanghai Grandmother Restaurant) an 8-minute walk away from the hotel. I personally wished I had stayed near the French Concession instead as there would likely be more bars to check out. It’s also quieter and the vibe is more chill.
Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel near The Bund in Shanghai is also located near the Nanjing Pedestrian street, where the road is closed to cars (bicycles and motorbikes are still allowed). There’s a pretty legit Traditional Chinese Medicine medical hall (Cai Tong De 蔡同德) located on that street, as well as a shop selling sharp pairs of scissors. More on the medical hall experience in a next post.
The Room
The hotel room was decent and comfortable. Similar to the standard layout for hotels, there was a desk and a TV. There was sufficient space for two. The shower and toilets are located in separate cubicles, for those who like this arrangement.
The Service
The check-in and out process was rather smooth. The hotel is popular with tourists from all over the world, so the lobby can get pretty busy during peak hours. You will need to put a RMB500 deposit when you check-in. I recommend that you do so using cash as it’s much easier to get the refund. With a credit card you have to constantly check if the amount has been refunded to you.
A point to note – the hotel has a bar but when we visited it, we found it completely empty and the staff in charge was watching a video on her phone. Hence, we decided that the drinks might not be the best and went somewhere else instead.
The Travelling Squid’s Take – my stay at the Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel near The Bund in Shanghai
Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel near The Bund in Shanghai is in a convenient location, but I found the main street that it is located on to be too busy. During peak hours in the evening, there would be throngs of tourists walking from the Nanjing East subway station to the Bund and it was very crowded. We later realised that the streets that run parallel to the main street were much quieter and opted to walk on these paths instead.
Would I recommend that you stay at the Jinjiang Metropolo Hotel near The Bund in Shanghai? If it’s your first time in Shanghai and you would like to learn about the city as a tourist, it’s a good place. But if you’re looking to understand Shanghai at a deeper level, the French Concession might be a better location.
