Hyatt On The Bund: Why to Ask for the West Tower

A Hyatt on the North Bund

Hyatt On The Bund is at 199 Huangpu Road, Hongkou District.

Its Chinese name is 上海外滩茂悦大酒店.

When showing a taxi driver the address, it's easier if you show this Chinese name too.

It's the area you reach by going north along the river from the Bund, so it's called the North Bund.

It's about an 8-minute walk to the Bund.

Lujiazui is right across the river, so it's a spot facing the Oriental Pearl Tower head-on.

The view is different from Lujiazui hotels where you look up at the Oriental Pearl Tower up close.

From the North Bund, the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Pudong skyscrapers fit wide into one frame.

For seeing the Oriental Pearl Tower, I prefer the North Bund side.

The difference between the two areas is written separately in Oriental Pearl Tower head-on from the North Bund, up close from Lujiazui.

The building has two towers

In the hotel photos, two hotel towers stand side by side.

This hotel is divided into an East Tower and a West Tower.

The West Tower faces the Oriental Pearl Tower head-on.

From the East Tower, you see the Oriental Pearl Tower from the side.

So when booking, it's good to write in your requests that you'd like the West Tower.

Requests are not guaranteed.

Still, if you write it, the front desk takes it into account when assigning rooms.

Sometimes the hotel calls ahead and assigns a high-floor room with a good view.

If they contact you, mention the West Tower and a high floor once more.

How to write requests is collected in Does writing "high floor, Oriental Pearl Tower view" in your booking request work?.

Check the room name first

You can choose separately between Oriental Pearl View rooms and Bund View rooms.

Going by name alone, Bund View may look better.

But from Bund View rooms, you can't see the Oriental Pearl Tower.

That's because Bund View rooms look along the river toward the old buildings.

If you must see the Oriental Pearl Tower, book a room with Oriental Pearl View or Pearl Tower View in the name.

The tower's English name is Oriental Pearl Tower, so it's written Pearl Tower View.

Rooms with no view at all in the name may be on the side without a river view.

How to read room names is summarized in Rooms with an Oriental Pearl Tower view: words to look for in room names.

Oriental Pearl View rooms are priced higher than other rooms.

Prices change by date, so check them for your own dates.

Where to watch the night view in the room

Among the room photos is a room where you see the Bund night view from a window-side chair.

There's also a room with the Lujiazui night view beyond floor-to-ceiling windows.

There's also a room where you see the Huangpu River and Pudong together from the window seat.

There are also corner rooms with windows on two sides.

Some rooms have a bathroom with a tub by the window, so you can see the riverside night view from the bath.

From the river-side rooms, you can see Pudong's three towers in Lujiazui at a glance.

The three towers are Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, and Jin Mao Tower.

On the top floor there's a bar facing the night view.

There's also a rooftop terrace overlooking Lujiazui.

There's also lounge sofa seating with a river view.

Even if you're assigned a city-side room, you can see the night view if you go up to the bar.

So if you couldn't get an Oriental Pearl View room, one option is to stay just 1 night in a view room and the rest in a standard room.

On the night in the view room you don't need to go to the bar, and on nights in a standard room you can go up to the bar and watch the night view.

Room types

From the photos, there are king rooms, twin rooms with two beds, and a suite living room with a sofa and round table.

There's also a king room with a bench at the foot of the bed.

There are 620 rooms.

The rooms are spacious and bright.

Rooms have a separate bathtub and shower booth.

There's also a bathroom with a glass shower next to the sink.

There's a minibar, bathrobes, and slippers.

There's also a safe and blackout curtains.

With blackout curtains, you can watch the night view late and sleep in the next morning.

The amenities are Balmain.

There are separate soundproofed rooms.

In-room Wi-Fi is free.

Facilities

There's an indoor pool and a fitness center.

The pool is an indoor pool with sun loungers.

The pool is well maintained.

There's also a spa and sauna.

The photos show a spa room with a bed by the window.

The lobby is an atrium with floral decorations under a glass ceiling.

There's also an outdoor garden with shade trees.

There's an ATM and currency exchange service.

The front desk is open 24 hours.

There's a parking lot and EV charging station on site.

Pets are not allowed.

It's a non-smoking property.

Breakfast and check-in

Breakfast is a buffet.

Breakfast is on the 2nd floor from half past 6 to 9 a.m.

Breakfast ends earlier than at other hotels, so on days you sleep in, be sure to check the time.

There's a wide variety at breakfast.

The noodle soup and fried noodles at the noodle corner are so good you'll eat them every day.

The photos also show a buffet corner with a chef standing by.

Children 5 and under eat breakfast free.

Breakfast is paid separately at the property.

Check-in is after 15h, check-out is before 12h.

Contactless check-in and check-out are available.

The staff are friendly and check-in and check-out are quick.

Sometimes they also help with early check-in at no extra cost.

Early check-in depends on room availability that day, so don't count on it; go planning just to leave your bags.

Is it OK with kids?

This hotel is good for going with kids.

There are family rooms.

Among the room photos is a kids' room set up with a tent.

There's also a family room with green bedding and a play tent.

Children 12 and under stay free when sharing existing beds.

From age 13, they count as adults.

The staff notice you have kids and take thoughtful care.

Schedules with kids are also covered in Shanghai with parents and kids.

For a hotel good for walking the Bund riverside with kids, compare with Puyan Hotel The Bund: watching the Bund night view with kids.

Downsides

It's an older 5-star, so the rooms aren't very new.

On the other hand, the cleaning is thorough.

The bathroom floor is marble and tends to be slippery.

If you go with kids or parents, watch your step in the bathroom.

Sometimes it takes time to get the deposit back.

If you put the deposit on a card, ask the front desk at check-out when it will be released.

It's about 1.4 km to East Nanjing Road Station, a bit far.

If you'll shop on East Nanjing Road every day, it's easier to use taxis too.

Lujiazui is across the river, so you can't walk there.

How to cross the river is in How to cross the river from the Bund to Lujiazui.

Other questions

Which airport is closer?

It's about 16 km in a straight line to Hongqiao International Airport.

It's about 32 km in a straight line to Pudong International Airport.

In straight-line distance, Hongqiao Airport is about half as far as Pudong Airport.

The route from Pudong Airport is in From Pudong Airport to a Bund hotel.

Is it OK to walk to the Bund at night?

It's about an 8-minute walk to the Bund, a good distance for walking even at night.

There's also a shopping mall and a metro station near the hotel.

If you want to head out when the lights come on, see When do the Bund lights turn on?.

Who it suits

It suits people who want to see the Oriental Pearl Tower head-on from their room.

It's also good for people who want to walk the Bund for its night view every evening.

With a pool and spa, it also suits schedules with lots of time relaxing at the hotel.

If you want to stay right in the middle of East Nanjing Road, a hotel near East Nanjing Road Station is easier.

In that case, first see Radisson Hyland vs. Grand Central: two East Nanjing Road hotels compared.

If you choose this hotel, do it in this order.

First check whether the room name includes Oriental Pearl View.

Next, write "West Tower, high floor, room with an Oriental Pearl Tower view" in your requests.

At check-in, ask once more whether the room you were assigned is in the West Tower.

On cloudy days the Oriental Pearl Tower can look hazy, so also see Night views on cloudy or rainy days.