Imagine neon-lit busy Time Square New York and blend it with the historical commerce of Champs-Élysées — that’s my best description in what it’s like to stay at this Marriott boutique hotel. Located right on the Nanjing Pedestrian Road and a stone throw away from the Bund, it’s one of the most central location for first time visitors that wants to be immersed in the hustle and bustle 人山人海 of Shanghai China.
Booking
Just like the Shangri-La and the St. Regis, it heavily favored booking this stay with cash. On average, the EDITION costs 62,000 pts/night and since the average rate of this hotel was $300/night, it made it less than 0.5 cents value on the dollar for redemptions.
Another incentive for booking directly with them was that award bookings for EDITION does not come with free breakfasts even for Marriott Lifetime Platinum Members while cash had a bundle rate which included breakfasts every morning.
Bund Double
At 400sq/ft, you can definitely feel the room to be on the smaller side compared to other luxury hotels in the city. Plus the lower roof line also made it feel tight — I’m only 5’7″ and I felt tall in this building.
The bathroom space was optimized with the bathtub and the shower adjacent, which was fun for Chloe to jump in and out of while showering.
Location
The highlight of the hotel is definitely its prime location. You step out and you immediately know you’re in the shopping mecca of Shanghai. It’s interesting to see social media influencers market stores like Adidas for Douyin (TikTok China) followers to buy.
We tested this and shopped for fun online and even ordered food. They delivered everything directly to the hotel within the hour! The China efficiency is on another level. Amazon two-day “prime” shipping suddenly feels sooooo slow now…
Rooftop/Pool
The hotel has a scenic rooftop that overlooks the Bund, which is really pretty during the day and especially at night.
There’s a pool that the kids loved. Chloe’s friend is a talented swimmer and showed her how to do laps around the pool like an Olympian.
Breakfast
The breakfasts every morning is on the lobby floor. It’s restaurant style and we went to town in ordering almost everything on the menu.
Overall, Shanghai EDITION is all about its central location. Despite its drawbacks in limited room space, it’s conveniently situated in almost everything you want/need to do if you’re visiting Shanghai for the first time. Reuniting friends and families from all over the world here was a huge bonus and made this hotel a lovely stay.
Chai Bear World 