Peace Hotel - Shanghai
 

Does anyone know when the hotel was last refurbished? A friend stayed there, albeit 13 yrs ago, & mentioned it was getting long in tooth.

I was there in 1999 and the room we had was very nice - spacious, with bathtub and shower stall. I was part of a tour that used only 4-star hotels, so I think our room is one that's standard for a couple.

Judith, I had dinner with my friend, Christina, at the Peace Hotel in May of 2000. I didn't see the rooms, but the lobby was very shabby.<BR><BR>DO NOT eat in the restaurant. We had absolutely horrendous service, with everyone pretending they were somewhere else--on a beach, shopping in a mall, playing tennis--anywhere but waiting tables in an eatery. I literally had to stand up and flag down my waiter even though he was standing 3 feet away. It was even worse when we were given someone else's food (it was then that our waiter suddenly forgot all the English he had just used 10 minutes prior).<BR><BR>The only good thing to come out of this experience was this amusing anecdote that I get to tell at tedious dinner parties.<BR><BR>Ciao, <BR>John G

My husband and I stayed at the Novotel Peace Hotel the last week in March, 2002.We loved the hotel. Our room was very nice, the lobby was very pretty and both my husband and I would stay there again over some of the 5 star hotels we have stayed in since March. The location was wonderful. All of the people that worked there were friendly and helpful.

Isn't the Novotel Peace hotel in Beijing? <BR><BR>I've also only walked thru the Peace Hotel in Shanghai and it did look a little run down.

My wife and I stayed at the Peace Hotel in August 2001. The place is a dump really, as was mentioned, the lobby is really run down.Our room was very "damp" infact we didn't feel well for a day or so. The onlything that is a real plus is that it is situated right on the 'bund' I would never stay there again.

In my opinion, there is no hotel that can compare to the Peace Hotel for getting a glimpse of Shanghai during its decadent days as the "Paris of the Orient".<BR><BR>It is, however, one of those hotels one stays in for history and charm, not modern convenience and service. The suites are nice, the standard rooms are average, the service is poor. For me, however, that’s a trade off I’m willing to make. <BR><BR>The lobby is featured in numerous books and articles as a premier example of Art Deco design, and is a common stop on tours in Shanghai. The intricate leadwork used everywhere from the ornate windows to the light fixtures, the Lalique glasswork, the stained glass windows . . .<BR><BR>This site gives a good overview of its history and has good pictures of some of its renowned art deco details:<BR><BR>http://www.han-yuan.com/shudian/alastlook/shhai57.htm<BR><BR>This is the hotel’s own site, which offers streaming video, panoramic virtual tours, and a slide show – its own pictures, however, show the lobby in a harsh light and without focusing on the art deco detailing:<BR><BR>http://china.showhotel.com/shanghai/peacehotel/index.htm<BR><BR>The hotel opened in 1929, and remained, until WWII, the premier hotel and a leading social venue. Lavish balls were held there, and the lobby and rooftop were host to the city’s leading socialites and opium barons. During WWII, in the midst of the fighting between the Japanese and Chinese, many Western expatriates who weren't yet worried enough about the war to leave the city moved into the Peace hotel, and there are many firsthand accounts of Westerners sipping cocktails and actually watching the fighting from the rooftop of the hotel.<BR><BR>If you’re looking for a sparkling, modern hotel, this certainly wouldn’t be a good choice. The Peace Hotel, however, is something you can find no where else in the world; it offers a glimpse into the world of colonial Shanghai during its heyday.

With all the negative comments on the Peace Hotel, I now wonder if I stayed in the same one as all the others are talking about. I did not however eat there, so I can't comment on the service in the restaurant. But the few days I stayed there, hotel service was good. <BR>If you do decide on that hotel, be sure to go up on the rooftop for a great nightime view of the Bund and across.