Suzhou and Shanghai
 

I will be going to China in October for 17 days will depart from Shanghai. The way the trip is tailored now, we will be spending 2 nights in Suzhou and our last night in Shanghai. I feel we need more time in Shanghai and am wondering whether we should skip Suzhou. What do you think? What about Zhujiajiao water town? Is that a worthwhile day trip? On the same subject, what high end hotels (well located) would you suggest in Shanghai? I have names of Grand Hyatt, Four Seasons, Westin and Ritz but am not sure of location. Thanks!

If you do a search of Shanghai in this forum, you would know most people (including me) think not much to see in Shanghai. Most people prefer Suzhou over Shanghai. Suzhou is a small town and should not be skipped.

But if you have only three days in Suzhou and Shanghai, I would recommend spening one night (rather than zero) in Suzhou and two in Shanghai.

Thanks, that's what I have decided to do. Now, in Shanghai I have booked the Hyatt but am being told that it's not well located(it's in Pudong) and that I should stay at the Westin because it's in Puxi which is in a better location. Do you have any opinion on hotels in Shanghai? I really appreciate your feedback!

From the Westin you can walk to the Bund, Nanjing road, Yu Yuan so from a sightseeing point of view it may be better located. However I don't find the Hyatt to be inconvenient even though it's on the Pudong side. It's just across the river and there are a number of ways to get to the Puxi side. The metro is a block away and it's only one stop to Henan road station in the middle of the Nanjing road pedestrian section. You can also walk to the river front and take the wacky underground tunnel to the Bund. And of course there are taxis and I believe ferries that cross the river. Depending on what you want to see the Westin may have a slight advantage, but it's not a huge difference either way.

I haven't stayed at Westin or Hyatt before. But I prefer staying at Puxi. Although there are several ways travelling between Puxi and Pudong, I find Puxi is more interesting and with more activities at night.

Do you have a hotel to recommend in Puxi?

Westin probably is the closest one to the Bund among the 4 you listed. There is a brand new JW Marriott at Nanjing Rd. It is a bit closer to the Bund than Ritz, which is also located in Nanjing West Rd. Ritz is right next to an upscale shopping mall. The Four Seasons are at Weihai Road. Puxi is more crowded than Pudong, so more things to do in the evening and more food choices if you want to see more local color. However, Grand Hyatt does have a unique location (It is in the tallest building in Shanghai and this is its strongest selling point) and the surrounding area presents Modern Shanghai. As another poster suggests, Pudong is not necessarily more incovenient than Puxi in terms of traveling to other part of the city. Actually I found getting in and out of Four Seasons quite time consuming sometimes because of the traffic. In terms of room ammenities, Four Seasons and JW Marriott is better than that in Grand Hyatt (I am talking about Deluxe rooms). Can't comment on Westin or Ritz as I never stayed there. Hope this is helpful.

Agree that the JW Marriott also has an excellent location near People's square. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the hotels mentioned so far. The only other hotel of the same caliber in Shanghai that I wouldn't recommend to a first time visitor is the St. Regis. It's a fine property but is located farther east into Pudong and lacks any interesting views.

xgao,
I haven't had a chance to stay at the JW yet and would be interested to hear what specifically you liked better at the JW vs. the Hyatt. Thanks.

Thanks so much for your wonderful input...I have now booked the Westin. You were a tremendous help!

Patty, Of cause the Jingmao Building is a nicer property than the one JW is at. However, I never quite like the bathrooms at Grand Hyatt. The sink is small and the bathroom is not spacious. Since Grand Hyatt has become so popular, it gets a bit crowded sometimes (many people that are not staying at the hotel come to visit the building as well). Quality of service also declined over the years. I had to wait for more than 5 minutes to be seated for breakfast in several occations.

Agree with you on St. Regis. Not just on location, but also on quality of services. I stayed there once and I had to fill out a 7 points complaints at the end (The first time that I felt so strongly about complaining).