16 hotels
The 16 best luxury hotels in Shanghai
The 16 best luxury hotels in Shanghai, compared on rooms, Michelin Keys, restaurants, pools and spas. Our pick: Upper House Shanghai, in Jing'an.
By Mathias C.Editor of the guide
In short
- Our pick is Upper House Shanghai, the former Middle House in Jing'an: studios from 50 m², 102 serviced apartments, a 25 m pool and three metro lines on foot.
- Upper House Shanghai carries our editor's score, 9.2/10. Among calculated scores, Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li leads with 9.1/10: 55 villas from 111 m² in restored 1930s lane houses, 2 Michelin Keys and Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire.
- For the river, The Peninsula Shanghai (2 Michelin Keys, Forbes Five-Star) is the strongest hotel on the Bund; for height, J Hotel takes floors 84 to 105, plus 120, of Shanghai Tower.
Our pick in Shanghai
Illustration No. 1Our pick
Rank 1: Upper House Shanghai
Jing'an, Shanghai
213 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 50 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Our pick, with an editor's score. Studios from 50 m², 102 serviced apartments, a 25 m pool and the Mi Xun Spa, on West Nanjing Road where three metro lines meet. Its limits: no river view and no starred restaurant.
9.2 out of 10
The other 15 hotels
No. 2
Rank 2: Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li
Xuhui, Shanghai
55 rooms · rooms from 111 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Five-Star
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Pool
- Spa
The highest score of the city: 55 villas from 111 m² in Jianyeli, the largest remaining 1930s shikumen lane complex, with 2 Michelin Keys and Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire. The villas are narrow, with stairs between floors.
9.1 out of 10
No. 3
Rank 3: The Peninsula Shanghai
The Bund, Shanghai
235 rooms · opened 2009 · rooms from 54 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Five-Star
- No. 99, World's 51–100 Best Hotels 2026
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Indoor pool
- Spa
The strongest hotel on the Bund: 2 Michelin Keys, Forbes Five-Star, a 25 m pool and Yi Long Court with a Michelin star. River views start at the Deluxe River Room; entry rooms face the city or the garden.
9.0 out of 10
No. 4
Rank 4: Amanyangyun
Minhang, south-west outskirts, Shanghai
35 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 99 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor and outdoor pools
- Spa
A resort of 35 keys from 99 m² in a forest of camphor trees and Ming and Qing houses moved from Jiangxi, with 2 Michelin Keys and indoor and outdoor pools. It is 30 km from the centre, with no metro nearby.
8.8 out of 10
No. 5
Rank 5: Bvlgari Hotel Shanghai
Suzhou Creek, Jing'an, Shanghai
82 rooms
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Forbes Five-Star
- 2 Michelin-starred restaurants
- Indoor pool
- Spa
The best table in the ranking, with Bao Li Xuan (2 Michelin stars) and Il Ristorante - Niko Romito (1 star), plus 2 Michelin Keys, on Suzhou Creek. River views exist in some rooms only, and must be asked for.
8.6 out of 10
No. 6
Rank 6: Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
362 rooms · opened 2013 · rooms from 50 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Five-Star
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Forbes Five-Star on the river in Lujiazui, with Yong Yi Ting (1 Michelin star), about 4,000 artworks and a 2,415 m² spa. Entry rooms face the city; river views are an upgrade.
8.3 out of 10
No. 7
Rank 7: J Hotel Shanghai Tower
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
165 rooms · opened 2021 · rooms from 61 m²
- 2 Michelin Keys
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Floors 84 to 105 and 120 of Shanghai Tower, entry rooms of 61 m², a butler for every guest and 2 Michelin Keys. No Michelin-starred restaurant, and the pool closes at 20:00.
8.0 out of 10
No. 8
Rank 8: Park Hyatt Shanghai
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
173 rooms · opened 2008 · rooms from 55 m²
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Floors 79 to 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center, rooms from 55 m² by Tony Chi and a 20 m infinity pool on the 85th floor. No Michelin Key, and the spa has two treatment rooms.
7.5 out of 10
No. 9
Rank 9: The PuLi Shanghai
Jing'an, Shanghai
229 rooms · opened 2009 · rooms from 45 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
An urban resort beside Jing'an Park, with a 25 m indoor pool facing the trees and an indoor link to Jing'an Temple station. PHÉNIX no longer holds a Michelin star in 2026, and renovation work goes on while the hotel stays open.
7.4 out of 10
No. 10
Rank 10: The Sukhothai Shanghai
Jing'an, Shanghai
201 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 45 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Interiors by Neri&Hu, more than 30 commissioned artworks including two teamLab installations, and a 25 m indoor pool, on West Nanjing Road. Little is set up for children.
7.4 out of 10
No. 11
Rank 11: The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong
Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
285 rooms
- Forbes Four-Star
- 1 Michelin-starred restaurant
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Jin Xuan holds a Michelin star and the 55th-floor spa is Forbes Five-Star, with a direct entrance to the IFC mall. No Michelin Key, and the pool is under five feet deep.
7.0 out of 10
No. 12
Rank 12: The Shanghai EDITION
Nanjing Road East, near the Bund, Shanghai
145 rooms · opened 2018 · rooms from 36 m²
- 1 Michelin Key
- Indoor pool
- Spa
A 1929 Art Deco power-company building joined to a new tower by Neri&Hu, with 1 Michelin Key and a nightclub on Level 7. The smallest entry rooms of the ranking, from 36 m², and an entrance on busy Nanjing Road East.
7.0 out of 10
No. 13
Rank 13: The St. Regis on the Bund, Shanghai
The Bund, Huangpu, Shanghai
192 rooms · opened 2024
- 1 Michelin Key
- Indoor pool
- Spa
The newest hotel of the ranking, opened in October 2024 on the southern Bund, in a building by Foster + Partners and Heatherwick Studio, with 1 Michelin Key. Room sizes are not published yet.
6.8 out of 10
No. 14
Rank 14: Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund
The Bund, Shanghai
257 rooms · opened 2010
- 1 Michelin Key
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
The 1911 Shanghai Club on the Bund, with its 34 m mahogany Long Bar, and 1 Michelin Key. Room sizes are not published on the sources we could read.
6.8 out of 10
No. 15
Rank 15: Fairmont Peace Hotel
The Bund, Shanghai
270 rooms · opened 1929
- Forbes Four-Star
- Indoor pool
- Spa
Sir Victor Sassoon's 1929 Cathay Hotel at the corner of the Bund and Nanjing Road East, with a museum of 1,600 objects and the Nine Nation Suites. No Michelin Key; river views only from select rooms and suites.
6.6 out of 10
No. 16
Rank 16: Banyan Tree Shanghai On The Bund
North Bund, Hongkou, Shanghai
130 rooms
- Indoor pool
- Spa
A riverside hotel on the North Bund with a three-floor spa of 11 treatment rooms. No Michelin Key or Forbes rating, and few published facts.
6.2 out of 10
Where to stay in Shanghai
Numbers on the plan match the ranking.
The Bund4 in the guide
Waterfront protected historical district on the west bank of the Huangpu River, along East Zhongshan Road No. 1, facing the Lujiazui skyline in Pudong.
Lujiazui (Pudong)4 in the guide
Peninsula formed by a bend in the Huangpu River, on the east bank directly across from the Bund.
Jing'an3 in the guide
Central district named after Jing'an Temple on West Nanjing Road; merged with Zhabei in November 2015.
North Bund (Hongkou) and Suzhou Creek1 in the guide
Suzhou Creek flows into the Huangpu River at the northern end of the Bund.
Minhang (Maqiao)1 in the guide
Mostly residential suburban district of 371.57 km2 in south-west Shanghai.
Why Upper House Shanghai is our pick
Upper House Shanghai, The Middle House until October 2025, is our pick for the way most visitors use the city. It sits on West Nanjing Road, where metro lines 2, 12 and 13 meet, between the shops of Jing'an and the Bund. The studios start at 50 m², the 25 m pool and the Mi Xun Spa are in the building, and 102 serviced apartments with kitchens make it the only house in this ranking built for a stay of several weeks.
Its 9.2/10 is an editor's score: our view of the house, not a calculation. The calculated criteria reward Michelin Keys and starred restaurants, where Capella, The Peninsula and Bvlgari hold more; if a river view or a starred dinner downstairs comes first, choose one of those three.
Which area of Shanghai should you stay in?
The Bund, on the west bank of the Huangpu, is the 1920s and 1930s riverfront: The Peninsula, Fairmont Peace Hotel, Waldorf Astoria, The St. Regis and The Shanghai EDITION are there or a block away, and the views across the river to Pudong are the reason to book. Lujiazui, on the east bank, is the financial district of towers, where Mandarin Oriental, J Hotel, Park Hyatt and The Ritz-Carlton put rooms high above the river.
Jing'an, west of People's Square, is the shopping and business district along West Nanjing Road, home to Upper House, The PuLi and The Sukhothai, with Bvlgari on Suzhou Creek at its northern edge. Capella sits in the plane-tree streets of Xuhui, the former French Concession, and Amanyangyun is a resort 30 km south-west of the centre.
What Michelin Keys and Forbes stars tell you
The Michelin Guide awards one, two or three Keys to hotels it judges remarkable, on architecture, service, character and value. In Shanghai's 2026 selection, Capella, The Peninsula, Bvlgari, Amanyangyun and J Hotel hold two Keys; Upper House, Mandarin Oriental Pudong, The PuLi, The Sukhothai, The Shanghai EDITION, The St. Regis on the Bund and Waldorf Astoria hold one.
Forbes Travel Guide sends inspectors and rates Five-Star, Four-Star or Recommended. Capella, The Peninsula, Bvlgari and Mandarin Oriental Pudong are Five-Star for 2026. The two lists overlap but do not match: Park Hyatt and The Ritz-Carlton are Forbes Four-Star without a Key.
Which Shanghai hotels have the biggest rooms?
Capella's 55 villas start at 111 m², and Amanyangyun's suites and villas at 99 m². Among city towers, J Hotel's entry rooms measure 61 m², Park Hyatt's 55 m², The Peninsula's 54 m², and Upper House's and Mandarin Oriental Pudong's 50 m². The smallest entry rooms in this ranking are at The Shanghai EDITION, from 36 m².
For a long stay, the apartments of Upper House Shanghai, from 55 to 110 m² with a kitchen, are the only serviced apartments among the 16 hotels.
Where to eat well without leaving the hotel
Bvlgari has the strongest table: Bao Li Xuan holds two Michelin stars and Il Ristorante - Niko Romito one. One-star restaurants are also found at Capella (Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire), The Peninsula (Yi Long Court), Mandarin Oriental Pudong (Yong Yi Ting) and The Ritz-Carlton Pudong (Jin Xuan). The PuLi's PHÉNIX no longer holds a star in the 2026 guide.
Upper House has no starred restaurant: Sui Tang Li is in the Michelin selection without a star, and Café Gray Deluxe is the house's all-day restaurant and terrace.
Frequently asked questions
Which luxury hotels in Shanghai have a view of the Bund?
Hotels across the river in Lujiazui look at the Bund: Mandarin Oriental Pudong, J Hotel Shanghai Tower, Park Hyatt and The Ritz-Carlton Pudong. On the Bund itself, The Peninsula, The St. Regis on the Bund and The Shanghai EDITION have rooms facing the Huangpu and Pudong, often from a specific room category upwards.
Is it better to stay in Puxi or Pudong?
Puxi, west of the river, has the Bund, Jing'an and the former French Concession, with most shops and restaurants. Pudong has the tower hotels and the views of the Bund. For a first visit or a business trip with meetings across the city, Jing'an or the Bund is more central; for the view, Lujiazui.
Which hotels in Shanghai have serviced apartments?
Among the 16 hotels of this ranking, Upper House Shanghai is the only one with serviced apartments: 102 apartments with full kitchens, from 55 to 110 m², in its second building.
What is the best luxury hotel in Shanghai?
Our pick is Upper House Shanghai, with an editor's score of 9.2/10. Among calculated scores, Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li leads with 9.1/10.
Which hotel has the largest rooms in Shanghai?
Among the 16 hotels of this ranking, Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li has the largest entry rooms, at 111 m².
Which hotels in Shanghai have Michelin Keys?
12 of the 16 hotels hold Michelin Keys. The most distinguished is Capella Shanghai, Jian Ye Li, with 2 Keys (2026 selection).
Sources
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