First Trip to Shanghai? Why to Stay Near East Nanjing Road Station
After reading this, you can choose which hotel near East Nanjing Road to book for your first Shanghai trip.
If it's your first time in Shanghai, staying west of the Huangpu River near East Nanjing Road Station is convenient.
I looked up every hotel while planning my next Shanghai trip, and this is the area I'd recommend first to a first-timer.
On a first trip, an easier daily route makes a bigger difference than the night view from your room.
Your day connects on foot
You can walk from East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street to the Bund riverside.
By day you stroll the pedestrian street, and when the sun sets you head to the Bund to see the night view across the river.
When you're done, you walk back to your hotel.
You'll call fewer taxis and make fewer metro transfers.
On a first trip, when you're not yet used to the Shanghai metro or taxi apps, this matters more than you'd think.
The walk from the pedestrian street to the Bund is in Walking from an East Nanjing Road hotel to the Bund.
It's a busy district, so it's good for being out late at night.
Even if you come back late after the night view, there are lots of restaurants and convenience stores nearby.
At Radisson Collection Hyland Shanghai, a convenience store is close, and stepping out on the 1st floor puts you right on East Nanjing Road.
You can look down on East Nanjing Road from the windows of the breakfast restaurant too.
The morning scene in this area is different, too.
Head out around 8 to 9 in the morning and you'll see a quiet East Nanjing Road, unlike in the daytime.
If you want photos without the daytime crowds, add a morning walk.
Straight from the airport, too
East Nanjing Road Station is on Metro Line 2.
The Shanghai Municipal Government says Line 2 from Pudong Airport takes about an hour to People's Square Station.
Not having to transfer while dragging big luggage is convenient on a first trip.
A comparison of ways to get from the airport to your hotel is in From Pudong Airport to a Bund hotel.
What to keep in mind at hotels in this area
It's not all good points.
Many hotels in this area don't have a river view from the rooms.
You walk out to the riverside to see the Bund night view.
Some hotels show the Oriental Pearl Tower from high floors, but room assignment depends on the day.
Many buildings are old.
Radisson Hyland's rooms are on the worn side, but the view from the 20th floor is good.
There's not a single shelf in the bathroom, so there's not enough room for your toiletries.
Being in the middle of a busy district, many hotels have smallish rooms.
Hanting Hotel Shanghai Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station has rather small rooms.
On the other hand, it's quieter than you'd expect for a busy district.
Even with two suitcases opened up, there's still room to walk around.
What to look at first when choosing
Even in the same area, each hotel suits different people.
If room size comes first, it's Grand Central Hotel Shanghai.
The rooms are spacious and comfortable.
There's also an indoor pool, a fitness center, and a spa.
It's an especially easy hotel for trips with parents or big families.
It's about a 10-minute walk to East Nanjing Road Station.
The entrance is convenient for getting in and out of a DiDi.
There are lots of places to eat nearby, so it's easy to pick dinner.
If being close to the station and pedestrian street matters more than a small room, Hanting Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station is also worth a look.
The hotel is on the 7th floor of its building, and the metro station is diagonally across the street.
The pedestrian street is right below, so it's easy to drop your bags and pop out for a while.
There's a self-service laundry room, so it's handy for doing laundry mid-trip.
If you care about the window view, it's Radisson Hyland.
Some high-floor rooms see the Oriental Pearl Tower.
With luck you sometimes get a room that faces the Oriental Pearl Tower.
It also helps to know the front desk is on the 2nd floor, so you won't get lost.
A more detailed comparison of the two hotels is in Radisson Hyland vs. Grand Central: two East Nanjing Road hotels compared.
If you want to be right on the pedestrian street, it's Atour Hotel Shanghai Bund Land Plaza or Yitel Premium Shanghai People's Square.
At Atour Hotel, East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street is right outside the door, and late-night snacks are served at 9:30 p.m.
The hotel opened in 2026, so the amenities are mostly new.
The shower and toilet are separate, and the shower is spacious with strong water pressure.
The front desk is on the 8th floor of the building.
Sometimes you can hear voices from the next room.
Yitel Premium is about a 4-minute walk to Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street.
It's a century-old building, so it has an old Shanghai feel.
The soft drinks in the fridge are free.
They'll hold your bags before early check-in or after check-out.
About a 5-minute walk behind the hotel is Lai Lai, a xiaolongbao shop.
It's easy to catch a taxi right out front.
The windows don't open, so ventilation is difficult.
If being close to the station comes first, it's Puyan Hotel Shanghai The Bund.
It's about a 5-minute walk to East Nanjing Road Station.
You can see Suzhou Creek and the Oriental Pearl Tower outside the window.
Keep in mind that check-in is from 16h.
Side by side on the same terms
Lining up the pedestrian street, station, check-in time, and breakfast hours:
- Atour Hotel: the pedestrian street is at the door, and East Nanjing Road Station is about a 12-minute walk. Check-in 14h; breakfast 7 to 10:30 on weekdays, until 11 on weekends.
- Yitel Premium: about 4 minutes to the pedestrian street, about 11 minutes to East Nanjing Road Station. Check-in 14h; breakfast 7 to 10.
- Hanting Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station: about 5 minutes to the pedestrian street, with the station diagonally across. Check-in 14h; breakfast is a Chinese set, 7 to 10.
- Radisson Hyland: about 11 minutes to East Nanjing Road Station. Check-in 14h; breakfast 6:30 to 10:30 on weekdays, until 11 on weekends.
- Grand Central: about 10 minutes to East Nanjing Road Station. Check-in 14h; breakfast 6:30 to 10:30.
- Puyan Hotel: about 5 minutes to East Nanjing Road Station. Check-in 16h; breakfast 7 to 9:30.
If you tend to eat breakfast late, Atour Hotel and Radisson Hyland, which serve breakfast until 11 on weekends, are convenient.
If you arrive early in the afternoon, hotels with check-in from 14h let you unpack right away.
Look at the People's Square side too
Go west from East Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street and you reach People's Square.
From here, too, you can walk to the Bund.
Shanghai Marriott Marquis City Centre is about a 7-minute walk to People's Square Station.
From the Bund-view rooms, you can see the Oriental Pearl Tower and the three tall towers of Lujiazui straight ahead.
The soundproofing is good so it's quiet at night, and it's easy to call a taxi to Pudong Airport the next day.
If you plan to visit the Shanghai Museum, JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square is also close.
It's about a 14-minute walk to the Shanghai Museum.
By who you're traveling with
If you're going solo, a small hotel close to the station and pedestrian street is convenient.
At places like Hanting Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station or Atour Hotel, with the pedestrian street right below, the walk back alone at night is short.
If you're two friends, look at room size and the bathroom together.
Atour Hotel has a spacious shower, so it's easy for two people to take turns.
If you're going with your parents, it's Grand Central.
The rooms are spacious and the entrance is convenient for getting in and out of a car, so you can cut down on walking.
For these first trips, a different area
East Nanjing Road isn't right for every first trip.
If you really want to see the Oriental Pearl Tower from your room, the North Bund or Lujiazui is the right fit.
The difference between the two areas is in Oriental Pearl Tower head-on from the North Bund, up close from Lujiazui.
If you're going with parents or kids, look at walking distance and room size together.
That's covered in Shanghai with parents and kids.
If you want to see all the areas at once, start with Shanghai Night-View Hotels: West Bank or Pudong?.
Other questions
If I stay on East Nanjing Road, where do I see the night view?
Walk to the east end of the pedestrian street and you reach the Bund riverside.
Standing on the riverside, the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Lujiazui towers are straight ahead across the river.
When the lights come on is in When do the Bund lights turn on?.
How do I do laundry?
Hanting Nanjing Dong Road Metro Station, Atour Hotel, and Yitel Premium have self-service laundry rooms.
If you're staying 3 nights or more, a hotel with a laundry room lets you pack lighter.
Is it OK if I can't see the river from my room?
It's an area where you walk to the riverside, so you won't miss the night view.
If you also want to see it from your room, aim for a high-floor room at Radisson Hyland or Marriott Marquis.
Prices change by date, so check them for your own dates.
