7 Best Hotels in Jing'an and Changing, Shanghai

Amid bustling downtown Puxi, this 37-story luxury hotel is an elegant oasis, with a lobby that has palm trees, fountains, and golden-hue marble as warm as sunshine, and with spacious rooms (just 12 or 15 to a floor) that have a chic gold palette. Although it caters to a largely business clientele, it's still a good choice for leisure travelers thanks to impeccable service, a glass-enclosed indoor pool, and a spa that offers traditional treatments. Though a bit dated, rooms are well-appointed, with flat-screen TVs, DVD/CD players, safes big enough for laptops, and bathrooms that have marble showers and tubs. Nanjing Road is within a 10-minute walk, and metro Line 2 is just down the block.

It's hard to beat the Portman Ritz-Carlton's prime Shanghai Centre location or its family-friendly facilities, which include a large fitness center, basketball courts, a playground, and a trampoline. The 50-story hotel attracts business travelers as well as families with four floors of executive club rooms. The lobby is a popular networking spot that exudes cool refinement with its ebony, marble, and chrome touches. In addition to the Shanghai Centre's surrounding shops and restaurants, the hotel has its own top-notch restaurants.

The cutting-edge, glass-and-steel PuLi lives up to its billing as an urban resort: with spalike guest rooms—as well as an actual spa, a stunning indoor pool, a garden terrace, and a library replete with fireplaces—it's truly an oasis of calm in Shanghai's bustling center, just off Nanjing Xi Lu. The mellow lobby has low-slung seating, modern porcelain pieces, and windows overlooking adjacent Jing'an Park. The 105-foot Long Bar is a popular place to gather for drinks and afternoon tea. The rooms are true havens, with perks like automated blackout curtains and bathrooms with rain-forest showers. What's more the Wi-Fi, items from the well-stocked minibar, and loaner cell phones are all complimentary. The hotel's PHÉNIX eatery & bar, a popular lunch spot, gained a Michelin star for its menu of contemporary French dishes; UR Spa gets a thumbs-up for its serene atmosphere.

Set in a former warehouse that was transformed using recycled materials, Shanghai's first carbon-netural hotel has a superb design and well-trained staffers who make you feel at home the moment you enter the tree-shaded courtyard. They're also happy to arrange interesting activities, from Chinese cooking or calligraphy classes to tai chi and yoga sessions. Or you can just head to the quiet, secluded rooftop bar for a little down time.