Jin Jiang East Asia Hotel

We had paid for two nights at the East Asia Hotel, but decided to spend the first night travelling to Shanghai on an overnight train. I called the hotel to tell them we would be arriving at 8am the next morning and to ask them to hold our room. They had no problem understanding and handling the situation. In person the front desk staff is a bit humourless, but reliable and efficient. They gave us good directions to two different types of store: a large supermarket, and an electronics mall. We had no trouble communicating with them in English. The room itself was small, but tastefully appointed. It's so small in fact that to get past the desk, if someone is using it, you have to climb over one of the beds. The window looking out on Nanjing Road makes you feel like part of the city, from the drums and cymbals across the street at 9am to the last drunk late at night. Close to everything, the hotel is not nearly as hard to find as I thought it might be. The touts in the neighbourhood are a bit annoying -- Need a watch? -- and the one usable elevator is not quite big enough for the number of rooms. But overall this was a very serviceable base of operations in a super location at a very good price.

Located in the heart of the shopping district, the location was good. The hotel front desk is on the 2nd floor and the 1st floor has a clothing store, so it makes it difficult to see the entrance. Clean rooms with everything you need.