To Shanghai and back on the wings of Aotearoa
- Thread starter Keith009
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Le Royal Meridien, Shanghai
789 Nanjing Rd East
Chrimbo decoration on the ground floor
I stayed at this hotel twice - once as a Gold, the 2nd time as a Platinum. (Let's just say that I overestimated the number of stays I needed to achieve Platinum.)
As a Gold I received the stock standard routine of check in, check out, with a pretty standard room smack in the middle of the corridor. I got 4pm late check out with no questions though; 'no problem Sir!'
I'd made Platinum on the day of arrival of my 2nd stay and called ahead to 'refresh' the status in my reservation. As a Platinum I was offered my choice of welcome amenity (went for the 500 points), a one category upgrade to a Grand Deluxe Room on the 27th floor, and a staff member escorted me to the room. She took pains to explain every single feature of the hotel and my room to me; I hadn't the heart to stop her. The check in clerk was apologetic that they couldn't do better than the Grand Deluxe Room (which they called a junior suite) as they'd already allocated rooms the night before. The promised welcome fruit/chocolates platter never appeared...
The decor at the Le Royal Meridien was nicer than the Westin as this hotel is newer. The Le Royal Meridien felt very hip and everything seemed brand new. However I wasn't sure about the open plan bathroom. Rooms were rather well-appointed with massive plasma TVs (the one in the Grand Deluxe Room can be twirled 360 degrees to face either the bed or the lounge area). The bathroom in the Grand Deluxe Room also had L'Occitane amenities. I did not really like the bed - the sheets felt a tad too rough and the mattress was extremely hard.
Deluxe Room:
789 Nanjing Rd East
Chrimbo decoration on the ground floor
I stayed at this hotel twice - once as a Gold, the 2nd time as a Platinum. (Let's just say that I overestimated the number of stays I needed to achieve Platinum.)
As a Gold I received the stock standard routine of check in, check out, with a pretty standard room smack in the middle of the corridor. I got 4pm late check out with no questions though; 'no problem Sir!'
I'd made Platinum on the day of arrival of my 2nd stay and called ahead to 'refresh' the status in my reservation. As a Platinum I was offered my choice of welcome amenity (went for the 500 points), a one category upgrade to a Grand Deluxe Room on the 27th floor, and a staff member escorted me to the room. She took pains to explain every single feature of the hotel and my room to me; I hadn't the heart to stop her. The check in clerk was apologetic that they couldn't do better than the Grand Deluxe Room (which they called a junior suite) as they'd already allocated rooms the night before. The promised welcome fruit/chocolates platter never appeared...
The decor at the Le Royal Meridien was nicer than the Westin as this hotel is newer. The Le Royal Meridien felt very hip and everything seemed brand new. However I wasn't sure about the open plan bathroom. Rooms were rather well-appointed with massive plasma TVs (the one in the Grand Deluxe Room can be twirled 360 degrees to face either the bed or the lounge area). The bathroom in the Grand Deluxe Room also had L'Occitane amenities. I did not really like the bed - the sheets felt a tad too rough and the mattress was extremely hard.
Deluxe Room:
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Grand Deluxe Room
I wasn't overly impressed by the convoluted lift situation at this hotel. Think Westin BKK but worse. If you stay on a higher floor, you'd need 2 lifts to get to your room (one from ground floor to lobby, another to the room). On my 2nd stay i had a room on the 27th floor which can be accessed directly from the ground floor - but to get to the club lounge on the 44th floor I needed to go down to the lobby and up again on another lift.
As a Platinum I got to access the club lounge at this hotel on my 2nd stay. There was free-flow alcohol (even sparkling wine!) all day and a very nice full buffet breakfast was served in the morning. There were also computer terminals where cabled broadband internet was provided for free, however wifi incurred a charge.
A majority of the staff seemed rather terse and acted like they were only fulfilling requests because they have to. The concierge was helpful when I had to email them for assistance with restaurant reservations prior to arriving however the concierge staff on duty whilst I was at the hotel generally seemed vague in providing advice and suggestions.
I'd describe the location of the hotel as in the middle of both everything and nothing. It's in the middle of a very busy pedestrian mall. However apart from some above average coffee at the Jamaica Blue cafe opposite the hotel, there wasn't anything that interesting about Nanjing Rd, unless of course you're into dining at multinational fast food chains and shopping at mass market, generic-brand clothing stores. I did have fun wandering down the little laneways to check out the hole in the wall eateries and trying to work out what to order from the non-English menus, as well as browsing through the food mall looking at all sorts of exotic wares being traded. However I'd consider the real action to be at the Bund, which was a relatively lengthy 20 minutes' walk away.
So it's a sexier hotel than the Westin, but apart from the hip decor there wasn't anything that'd entice me back for future visits.
Next: Sighted in Shanghai
I wasn't overly impressed by the convoluted lift situation at this hotel. Think Westin BKK but worse. If you stay on a higher floor, you'd need 2 lifts to get to your room (one from ground floor to lobby, another to the room). On my 2nd stay i had a room on the 27th floor which can be accessed directly from the ground floor - but to get to the club lounge on the 44th floor I needed to go down to the lobby and up again on another lift.
As a Platinum I got to access the club lounge at this hotel on my 2nd stay. There was free-flow alcohol (even sparkling wine!) all day and a very nice full buffet breakfast was served in the morning. There were also computer terminals where cabled broadband internet was provided for free, however wifi incurred a charge.
A majority of the staff seemed rather terse and acted like they were only fulfilling requests because they have to. The concierge was helpful when I had to email them for assistance with restaurant reservations prior to arriving however the concierge staff on duty whilst I was at the hotel generally seemed vague in providing advice and suggestions.
I'd describe the location of the hotel as in the middle of both everything and nothing. It's in the middle of a very busy pedestrian mall. However apart from some above average coffee at the Jamaica Blue cafe opposite the hotel, there wasn't anything that interesting about Nanjing Rd, unless of course you're into dining at multinational fast food chains and shopping at mass market, generic-brand clothing stores. I did have fun wandering down the little laneways to check out the hole in the wall eateries and trying to work out what to order from the non-English menus, as well as browsing through the food mall looking at all sorts of exotic wares being traded. However I'd consider the real action to be at the Bund, which was a relatively lengthy 20 minutes' walk away.
So it's a sexier hotel than the Westin, but apart from the hip decor there wasn't anything that'd entice me back for future visits.
Next: Sighted in Shanghai
Sighted in Shanghai
Yu Yuan Garden Bazaar/Old Town
I did not actually venture into the gardens (seriously how many different ways can gardens actually look?!), but I went to check out the bazaar and the dumpling restaurants. I loved the hustle and bustle, and the general chaos of the place. They even had Starbucks in there which was handy for picking up some non-entirely dire soy latte.
Yu Yuan Garden Bazaar/Old Town
I did not actually venture into the gardens (seriously how many different ways can gardens actually look?!), but I went to check out the bazaar and the dumpling restaurants. I loved the hustle and bustle, and the general chaos of the place. They even had Starbucks in there which was handy for picking up some non-entirely dire soy latte.
Dumplings
Shanghai dumplings! Nothing like eating the real McCoy. These folk really love their dumplings stuffed with juices. I enjoyed the one where you had a straw on top which you'd use to suck the juices out, although I did burn my tongue the first time when I did it too quickly.
Nanjing Rd
The main shopping thoroughfare of the city. It reminds me of Bourke St Mall - big and prominent with historic buildings, but filled with the most generic selection of 'whatsitsname?!' clothing stores anyone could ever put together. The food mall was interesting though, and the lights are nice at night (ala Times Square).
Another mug shot of myself, oh y'all love it!
Off Nanjing Rd
I believe this was the British Concession, although it doesn't look at all British so I could be wrong. There were lots of interesting local, 'hole in the wall' eateries. Order at your own peril (non-English menus) but SO worth it when you get it right. My first attempt at ordering failed miserably - that shop had pictures and I tried to order what looked like pork belly but it turned out to be this evil-looking and pulsating mixture of tofu and some black jelly-like substance in a spicy soup. 2nd time lucky - had a nice bowl of dumpling noodles. 3rd attempt was again a disaster - I got beef noodles alright but with 3 years of Beginners Chinese under my belt I didn't realise that it'd come in a spicy broth. Ok, I'm a wimp too but hey I wear it on my sleeve...
The Bund
Possibly the most aesthetically beautiful part of the city.
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It is also a major shopping area, however it isn't worth buying anything in Shanghai due to the hefty Chinese luxury tax (just when you thought they've given up trying to make Communism work). Great window shopping though, just the place to plan your next visits to NYC, Hong Kong, Paris etc, despite the Zegna loafers from 2 seasons ago and the last season Armani sunnies.
The buildings here are colonial-era but have been lovingly restored on the inside with some cutting edge interior design by top drawer designers. My favourites have to be 18 on the Bund, and 3 on the Bund.
18 on the Bund
The interior designer took a postmodern interpretation to the place, with red features (lifts, chandeliers) contrasted with dazzling white or solid black backgrounds.
Also houses a restaurant that I cannot recommend enough - Sens et Bund, modern French cuisine by the Pourcel Brothers. Unlike Jean Georges' who seem to be allowing his name to be prostituted without much regard to quality, the Pourcel Brothers maintained much higher standards of quality control at their establishments. The decor was beautiful - Phillip Starke influenced with some softer edges thrown in for good measure. The ambience was subtle and not overly hoity toity, and the service was professional but not intrusive.
On the 7th floor is Bar Rouge, serving some quality coughtails in a nice setting with a charming crowd. Great DJing on most nights, even better when they had DJ Derryn May. Beware of the hookers and the overcharging though.
There is also a Vertu store in this building.
3 on the Bund
Came here to eat at Jean Georges, but whilst I wasn't exactly blown away by the restaurant, I loved the decor of the building itself. Seems pretty W-esque with extremely dim lighting, and solid black panels (though an oldie complained in the lift of how he couldn't see anything). There is also David Laris's establishment, Laris (surprise surprise) in the same building - said to be good although I didn't get to eat there.
Sorry my below-average photography skills do not do the place justice!
Pudong skyline
Breathtaking, like a lot of other skylines in the world but I love skylines so it wowed me all the same. Much better at night.
At night
In the day
Pearl Tower as seen from the Jinmao Tower
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Xintiandi
A car-free area consisting of restored stone buildings. Has a few nice restaurants, with a caviar cafe owned by a French guy who'd just recently moved to Shanghai (Planet Caviar).
The French Concession
A very cool bit of town, possibly my favourite of the old European concessions even if I only saw it at 3am in the morning. I met an Aussie at a bar (always a delight to hear a familiar accent overseas, even if he turned out to be from Sydney…) and for some reason we started talking about the French Concession and how I was planning to see it. On an impulse we bought a few beers and took a taxi to the area, chugging down beer while he was showing me around. It’s a wonder I did not pass out there (I do remember stumbling back to the hotel), but in retrospect it’d have sounded so cool to say “I passed out and woke up in the French Concession!” compared to “…some random corner on Fitzroy St!”
Bund sightseeing tunnel
Sheer madness. It's essentially an underground train which takes you through a tunnel with light shows and tinsels.
A car-free area consisting of restored stone buildings. Has a few nice restaurants, with a caviar cafe owned by a French guy who'd just recently moved to Shanghai (Planet Caviar).
The French Concession
A very cool bit of town, possibly my favourite of the old European concessions even if I only saw it at 3am in the morning. I met an Aussie at a bar (always a delight to hear a familiar accent overseas, even if he turned out to be from Sydney…) and for some reason we started talking about the French Concession and how I was planning to see it. On an impulse we bought a few beers and took a taxi to the area, chugging down beer while he was showing me around. It’s a wonder I did not pass out there (I do remember stumbling back to the hotel), but in retrospect it’d have sounded so cool to say “I passed out and woke up in the French Concession!” compared to “…some random corner on Fitzroy St!”
Bund sightseeing tunnel
Sheer madness. It's essentially an underground train which takes you through a tunnel with light shows and tinsels.
The Maglev
So my time in Shanghai had come to an end. I didn't feel like leaving, but leave I must. I'd heard so much about the Maglev that I simply had to give it a go. If only just to include it on my Been There Done That list. So on my return journey I decided to hop on the Maglev to Pudong Airport.
The Maglev station is not the most conveniently located as it's not actually downtown. It was more like a 20 minutes cab ride from Puxi. Throw in a chatty cab driver (even if half the time I had absolutely no idea what he was saying), this had to be one of the longest downtown-to-city airport train terminal ride I've ever taken. The Maglev's 'downtown' station was the most non-downtown station for an airport train that I've ever come across.
Then again at 7 minutes, the actual train ride was far shorter than say, the NRT Express (more than 50 mins) or the KLIA express (approx 30 mins).
I was so glad to get off the cab that I even let the driver keep his RMB9 change. Either I did not see any lifts or my hangover haze was so heavy that morning that I missed the lifts altogether. Either way it's a good thing that I only had my small wheelie and a laptop bag. I then went up the escalator to the ticketing area where I got a one way ticket in the non-VIP section for RMB50. There are then security screeners through which all bags have to be put through, and finally it's up another escalator to the platforms.
The train ride itself was actually rather anti-climatic. I was expecting a massive G-force to pull me back at the start or something but that didn't happen. All I remembered was the scenery outside changing rather rapidly, particularly when the train peaked at 431km/h.
We promptly arrived at PVG in 7 minutes, and it was a further 5 minutes walk across to Departures.
Next: NZ88 PVG-AKL J
So my time in Shanghai had come to an end. I didn't feel like leaving, but leave I must. I'd heard so much about the Maglev that I simply had to give it a go. If only just to include it on my Been There Done That list. So on my return journey I decided to hop on the Maglev to Pudong Airport.
The Maglev station is not the most conveniently located as it's not actually downtown. It was more like a 20 minutes cab ride from Puxi. Throw in a chatty cab driver (even if half the time I had absolutely no idea what he was saying), this had to be one of the longest downtown-to-city airport train terminal ride I've ever taken. The Maglev's 'downtown' station was the most non-downtown station for an airport train that I've ever come across.
Then again at 7 minutes, the actual train ride was far shorter than say, the NRT Express (more than 50 mins) or the KLIA express (approx 30 mins).
I was so glad to get off the cab that I even let the driver keep his RMB9 change. Either I did not see any lifts or my hangover haze was so heavy that morning that I missed the lifts altogether. Either way it's a good thing that I only had my small wheelie and a laptop bag. I then went up the escalator to the ticketing area where I got a one way ticket in the non-VIP section for RMB50. There are then security screeners through which all bags have to be put through, and finally it's up another escalator to the platforms.
The train ride itself was actually rather anti-climatic. I was expecting a massive G-force to pull me back at the start or something but that didn't happen. All I remembered was the scenery outside changing rather rapidly, particularly when the train peaked at 431km/h.
We promptly arrived at PVG in 7 minutes, and it was a further 5 minutes walk across to Departures.
Next: NZ88 PVG-AKL J
turtlemichael
Established Member
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- May 24, 2006
- Posts
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QF009 said:
QF009, thank you for the excellent report and pictures. But what are we going to do with you? :shock: Those gardens are amazing and should be seen even if you are not the arborium type. I met one guy a few years ago who dismissed the Daintree as "seen one tree, seen them all"!
It's interesting though not surprising that we were there a few weeks apart and did many of the same things and quite a few different ones. I know we saw more temples than you but you had more dumplings and nightclubs! I guess you may have had more Capital F FUN! I agree though it's a fascinating city and well worth a return visit. Thanks again for the great report.
Apart from the garden, temples and museums were the other things I scrupulously avoided.turtlemichael said:
Horses for courses I guess. 
What I loved about the city was how hyper it was in general. It's chaos, it's frenzied, it's sensational. Lots of top notch Michelin-starred restos, and equally top drawer after-party venues. I just wish the latter were all in one place ala Lai Kwai Fong which saves a lot of walking and cabbing. Now all they need is Melbourne coffee (in particular Melbourne soy latte and chai latte) and it'd all be good.
Oh and I could not find my fave Chinese dish - Honey Chicken!! 
I was told it doesn't actually exist in China. Someone needs to export it there!
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Sector - PVG-AKL
Flight number - NZ88
Class - Business
Seat - 3A
Aircraft - B777-200ER
Reciprocal lounge access between member carriers is one of the key benefits of flying with an airline alliance. Which makes Star Alliance at PVG an absolute farce. *A rules unambiguously indicate that being in possession of a business class boarding pass on a flight both marketed and operated by a *A member would entitle one access to any lounges operated and designated by *A member carriers as business class lounges, apart from a small list of lounges excepted from this policy. Not at PVG it seems. I was trying to avoid the dreadful CNAC First Class Lounge used by NZ for Business Premier pax, and tried to get into the SQ and NH lounges. I was turned away by lounge dragons at both lounges, with the NH dragon, with every bit of attitude she could muster, telling me that the *A sign beside her was solely to indicate that "we are a member of *A - you are not welcome here as you are flying Air New Zealand." <insert expletive describing female canine>
The CNAC First Class Lounge sounds much nicer than it actually is. There weren't that many people, but it stank of ciggie smoke. There was barely any wifi signal, and a pitiful selection of food and drink at best.
We boarded at a bus gate. For once I was at the gate early and was in time for the boarding call for premium pax. I tunneled my way through the massive swarm of gate lice, and managed to pick the correct side of the bus to be one of the first to disembark so as to maximise my pre take off drinking time.
At the entrance to the aircraft, I was greeted by Flight Service Manager (FSM) Wayne and directed to my seat. The FA in my aisle, Laura circulated the cabin very efficiently with newspapers, slippers, amenity kits (which contained some generic-brand stuff instead of the nice amenities by the aforementioned Kiwi skincare company), as well as pre-departure drinks. I managed to down 3 glasses of Veuve Clicquot prior to take off, while the gentleman to my right enjoyed some whisky.
A drinks service was performed shortly after take off - my glass of pinot noir came with canapes! As in, real canapes - more substantive than merely a bag of crisps or warm nuts.
This was followed by the 'main meal.' The flight was essentially a night flight despite the 1405 departure time owing to the time difference between China and New Zealand. So this 'main meal' was practically both lunch and dinner - does that make it 'lunner'? The meal I had consolidated my generally favourable opinion of NZ catering thus far. In particular, the five spiced duck breast stood out.
Crab potato and artichoke salad with baby greens and crustacean oil
Five spice seasoned duck breast with capsicum pak choy, fried ginger and black sesame steamed rice
Flight number - NZ88
Class - Business
Seat - 3A
Aircraft - B777-200ER
Reciprocal lounge access between member carriers is one of the key benefits of flying with an airline alliance. Which makes Star Alliance at PVG an absolute farce. *A rules unambiguously indicate that being in possession of a business class boarding pass on a flight both marketed and operated by a *A member would entitle one access to any lounges operated and designated by *A member carriers as business class lounges, apart from a small list of lounges excepted from this policy. Not at PVG it seems. I was trying to avoid the dreadful CNAC First Class Lounge used by NZ for Business Premier pax, and tried to get into the SQ and NH lounges. I was turned away by lounge dragons at both lounges, with the NH dragon, with every bit of attitude she could muster, telling me that the *A sign beside her was solely to indicate that "we are a member of *A - you are not welcome here as you are flying Air New Zealand." <insert expletive describing female canine>
The CNAC First Class Lounge sounds much nicer than it actually is. There weren't that many people, but it stank of ciggie smoke. There was barely any wifi signal, and a pitiful selection of food and drink at best.
We boarded at a bus gate. For once I was at the gate early and was in time for the boarding call for premium pax. I tunneled my way through the massive swarm of gate lice, and managed to pick the correct side of the bus to be one of the first to disembark so as to maximise my pre take off drinking time.
At the entrance to the aircraft, I was greeted by Flight Service Manager (FSM) Wayne and directed to my seat. The FA in my aisle, Laura circulated the cabin very efficiently with newspapers, slippers, amenity kits (which contained some generic-brand stuff instead of the nice amenities by the aforementioned Kiwi skincare company), as well as pre-departure drinks. I managed to down 3 glasses of Veuve Clicquot prior to take off, while the gentleman to my right enjoyed some whisky.
A drinks service was performed shortly after take off - my glass of pinot noir came with canapes! As in, real canapes - more substantive than merely a bag of crisps or warm nuts.
This was followed by the 'main meal.' The flight was essentially a night flight despite the 1405 departure time owing to the time difference between China and New Zealand. So this 'main meal' was practically both lunch and dinner - does that make it 'lunner'? The meal I had consolidated my generally favourable opinion of NZ catering thus far. In particular, the five spiced duck breast stood out.
Crab potato and artichoke salad with baby greens and crustacean oil
Five spice seasoned duck breast with capsicum pak choy, fried ginger and black sesame steamed rice
Gourmet ice cream dessert of mango and chocolate ice cream
A selection of fine cheese and fresh seasonal fruit
This flight carried both Veuve Clicquot and Laurent-Perrier, although if you preferred one over the other you'd have to make a specific request to that effect. Every drink I ordered mid flight was accompanied by a small plate of cakes or some other snack - presumably to help soak up the alcohol. What else is food good for anyway?
I managed to check out the IFE properly on this flight. It was more stable than QF's AVOiD system (also by Rockwell Collins), but it takes a bit of an effort to get some response from the controls. I watched The Simpsons Movie - a pity that I missed it on the big screens.
Tele in bed
Due to the screaming bub in the next aisle, I was unable to get much sleep on the flight even with ear plugs. I woke up with 2 hours to breakfast and decided to have a few glasses of the bubbly stuff to pass time. Another FA seemed to be on duty and was more than happy to serve me a glass of champagne. She'd barely set it down on the coughtail tray when she'd immediately took it back. Wayne sprang out to apologise and explained that I was served flat, warm champagne left over from dinner; he'd only caught on to it just in time. Instead I had a bottle of freshly opened Laurent-Perrier, all to myself as everyone else was fast asleep! Wayne acknowledged that there were definitely training issues relating to the service of alcohol that'd have to be addressed; he explained that the mainland Chinese crews were culturally non-drinkers and so there was no hard and fast way to get issues like these resolved.
Apart from that minor blip, the service onboard was simply outstanding. In particular, Wayne and Laura were absolute delights to have as cabin crew members. Both couldn't seem to do enough for their pax, and rendered genuinely warm service. And this was also the only flight out of the 4 on which I was addressed by name. I asked to be called by my first name (yes pushing it aren't I?) and it was not a problem for they used it throughout the rest of the flight.
Wayne and Laura, if you're lurkers on here - thanks!
Lovely Laura doing the dinner service
FSM Wayne, myself, Flight Service Coordinator Lisa who oversees the Y service
Breakfast on this flight was similar to the previous one, adequately filling me up till my next meal. There were mushrooms for the hot breakfast though - which made this a better breakfast in my books!
It was also the first flight in a while that I felt was 'much too short', ie I actually wished it lasted longer to savour some more of the Business Premier experience. Especially as I'm unlikely to be flying on NZ J again in the near future.
Another mug shot of me - just prior to descent
Next: NZ725 AKL-MEL J
It was also the first flight in a while that I felt was 'much too short', ie I actually wished it lasted longer to savour some more of the Business Premier experience. Especially as I'm unlikely to be flying on NZ J again in the near future.
Another mug shot of me - just prior to descent
Next: NZ725 AKL-MEL J
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