Shanghai, China

Mandarin Oriental Pudong

Riverside restraint, where the Huangpu does the speaking and the hotel simply listens. A comfortable, dependable luxury stay with fine river views, if quieter in flourish than the name suggests.

Awarded by Carter Beau

How we rate

Every Ovelle is based on a genuine stay and awarded through independent editorial judgement. Any hosted elements are clearly disclosed and never determine the final recognition.

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Price From

From around US$300 a night

Accommodation

362

Opened

2013

Getting There

Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), about 40 minutes by car

The Verdict

A pleasant and dependable luxury hotel that falls short of the expectations associated with the Mandarin Oriental name.

Awarded Two Ovelle

Finest River View

The Review

The Inspection Report

Every Ovelle is awarded after considering seven pillars that together define the complete hotel experience. These are the observations that shaped this assessment.

Hospitality

The team were courteous, attentive and willing to help when a question arose concerning the original room. They handled the conversation professionally and arranged another option with care, helping the stay move forward positively.

Room and Design

The room was spacious, comfortable and elevated by beautiful views of the Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower and Huangpu River. Some finishes showed signs of age, while the alternative room felt similar to the category originally reserved, with the stronger view providing the clearest difference.

Sleep and Comfort

The room remained quiet and comfortable throughout the stay. The bed provided good sleep, while the generous proportions and convenient controls made the space easy to settle into across several nights.

The Culinary Experience

Room service was consistently enjoyable, neatly presented and delivered to a dependable standard. The laksa, chicken wings and apple tart made for a pleasant evening, even if no single dish became a defining memory.

The Guest Experience

The stay began with some uncertainty surrounding the original room category, but the team listened carefully and offered another option. Although this required an additional payment, the improved view transformed the atmosphere and the remaining nights were comfortable and enjoyable.

Character and Sense of Place

The skyline created the hotel's strongest connection to Shanghai. Seeing the Huangpu River, Oriental Pearl Tower and Shanghai Tower from the room placed the modern identity of Pudong directly within the experience.

Facilities and Wellbeing

The expansive swimming pool was peaceful, enjoyable and one of the strongest parts of the hotel. The gym was equally dependable, offering enough space and equipment for a complete workout.

Editorial Verdict

Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai earns Two Ovelle for its spectacular views, spacious accommodation, gracious service and excellent facilities. The beginning could have been more seamless, particularly given the similarity between the original room and the alternative offered at an additional cost, but the team handled the situation kindly and professionally. The hotel ultimately provided a comfortable and enjoyable stay, even if it felt more dependable than truly distinctive.

Inside the Stay

The stay, told in five parts

A dependable Mandarin Oriental on the Huangpu, where the river view is the reason to come and the room, once we were on the right side of the building, carried the stay. Ageing finishes and an initial disappointment kept it from the higher note the brand normally reaches for.

A dusk view of the Huangpu River and skyline through the window

Dusk on the Huangpu

The Room We Would Book

A river-facing room, high in the tower

The whole hotel is about the Huangpu, so the river-facing rooms are the picture worth having. Ask for one on the higher of the guestroom floors, the aspect frames the Oriental Pearl straight in the window.

If the room offered on arrival does not carry the view, ask. The hotel moved us to a better one without argument, and the stay changed completely once the aspect was right.

Photography

Room, dining, details and atmosphere

A guest room with a wide window, green armchair and warm lighting — The Room

A green sofa beneath abstract art with a marble table by the window — The Sitting Corner

The Oriental Pearl Tower framed in a guest room window — The Oriental Pearl, from the Room

About The Hotel

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Location: Pudong, Shanghai
Neighbourhood: On the banks of the Huangpu River in Lujiazui, Pudong
Opened: 2013
Accommodation: 362
Design: Arquitectonica (Bernardo Fort-Brescia)
Dining: Yong Yi Ting among them
Spa: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental
Getting There: Shanghai Pudong International (PVG), about 40 minutes by car
Price From: From around US$300 a night
Website: mandarinoriental.com

The Mandarin Oriental Pudong opened in 2013 on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River, in Lujiazui, the financial district whose towers form the modern Shanghai skyline. It sits a little apart from the crush, with a riverside garden and its own stretch of promenade.

The building was designed by the international practice Arquitectonica, and the interiors carry a large collection of contemporary Chinese art, hung through the lobby and public rooms. The best rooms look west across the water towards the Bund and the Oriental Pearl Tower.

It is a comfortable and well-run hotel, and the river views are genuine. Yet more than a decade on, some of the finishes have begun to show their age, and the stay settles into dependable rather than memorable, a notch below what the Mandarin Oriental name tends to promise.

A Curious Detail

Mandarin Oriental Pudong contains more than 3,500 original artworks throughout its rooms and public spaces. Many were commissioned specifically for the property, creating one of Shanghai's most extensive privately displayed collections of contemporary art.

Nearby

The Landmark

Oriental Pearl Tower

A short walk

The television tower that has defined the Pudong skyline since the 1990s.

The Riverside

The Bund

A short drive

The colonial waterfront on the far bank, best crossed to at dusk.

The Heights

Shanghai Tower

A short drive

The supertall cluster of Lujiazui, with an observation deck near the top of the city's tallest building.

Arrange This Stay

Booking Mandarin Oriental Pudong

We book directly with the hotel. When you reserve, request a Huangpu-facing room on the higher of the guestroom floors, and confirm the aspect at check-in before accepting the key.

mandarinoriental.com

Every Ovelle is based on a genuine stay and awarded through independent editorial judgement. Any hosted elements are clearly disclosed and never determine the final recognition.

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