Shanghai is all about sensory overload, from the futuristic skycrapers and light shows of Pudong's modern business district to the swanky bars and clubs nested in the Art Deco buildings lining the historic waterfront Bund area, and of course the wacky, psychadelic Bund Sightseeing Tunnel connecting the two. Savor everything from juicy pan fried pork dumplings at street stalls to traditioinal Yunnan cuisine at Lost Heaven to the hot new Ultraviolet, which tantalizes all your senses with its exquisite tasting menu accompanied by mood music and images. There's no lack of things to do either, from wandering the the tree-lined avenues of the old French Concession, with its art galleries and cafes, to taking in incredible Chinese acrobat performances, such as ERA Acrobats at Shanghai Circus World. Given Shanghai's 24-7 buzz, sometimes you'll want a peaceful oasis to unwind from it all. Here are our top Shanghai luxury hotel picks that make a perfect base for a stay in this dynamic city:
The Peninsula's location is arguably the best if you're visiting Shanghai for leisure, since it's right by the historic Bund. The rooms are in beautiful Art Deco style with modern Asian flair. Superior Rooms are as similarly spacious as the Park Hyatt Shanghai, at 591-677 square feet. We love that in addition to its beautifully appointed bedroom and elegant marble bathroom, there's a dressing area with ample closet space, an in-room Nespresso machine, complimentary WiFi, and even VOIP international calling. Service is superb, likely the best you'll find in Shanghai. Don't miss the Peninsula Spa, even if you can only manage to squeeze in a foot reflexology session in the Yun Vitality Room, or a quick dip in the drop dead gorgeous Art Deco atrium pool. Don't expect a copious breakfast buffet here, as it's a la carte, but do try al fresco dining on the terrace in nice weather, with its lovely river views.
Award Flights to Shanghai Using Miles and Points
Cathay Pacific First or Business Class using American AAdvantage Miles + Cheap Flight or Award to Shanghai
Having recently flown
Cathay Pacific Business Class and
Cathay First Class, this would be one of my top recommendations. Using American miles, First Class on Cathay is 67,500 miles each way, 135,000 miles round trip, and first class is worth the premium.
The nonstop Hong Kong-Shanghai flight is about 2.5 hours, so you could either buy a cheap economy ticket for about $270 roundtrip on Hong Kong Airlines or China Eastern, or fly Cathay and get the Hong Kong-Shanghai leg included in your Cathay award if you're not stopping over in Hong Kong. Note that with American miles, you aren't allowed a stopover of over 24 hours. Or if you are stopping over, you could use 7500 British Airways Avios + $46.68 for economy HKG-PVG each way, although that's a pretty poor redemption value since it works out to only 1.5 cents per Avios.
Asiana First or Business Class to Seoul using United Miles + Cheap Flight or Award to Shanghai
You'll need to leave from LAX if you want to fly Asiana in first class, otherwise there are business class awards available out of Asiana's three West Coast gateways (LA, San Francisco, Seattle). Seoul to Shanghai is about 2 hours, with cheap economy tickets on China Southern available for as little as $282 roundtrip.
Lufthansa Business or First Class via Germany using United Miles
As you probably know, for first class you'll need to have the flexibility to book or switch your flight a few days in advance of departure, since
Lufthansa First Class Can be Booked Up to 15 days in Advance using United miles. Here's an example of a mixed first and business class award from IAD via Frankfurt to Shanghai. It's not so bad since at least the IAD-FRA flight would be in
Lufthansa's new business class. You'd have a long layover, but you could use the great Lufthansa First Class Terminal, with its sleeping rooms, fine dining, baths, etc. Each way in first class is 70,000 United miles.
You can earn United miles from either 2 credit card applications plus credit card spend, or from 3 credit card applications. Apply for the Ink Bold or Ink Plus plus either the United MileagePlus Explorer or the Sapphire Preferred, then either earn the additional United miles through spend or by, in about 3 months, applying for the third card (the United MileagePlus Explorer if you already applied for the Sapphire Preferred, or the Sapphire Preferred if you already applied for the MileagePlus Explorer). Don't forget that now is a good time to apply for the Ink Bold or Ink Plus, before minimum spend increases. See Ink Plus and Ink Bold Spend to Increase and FAQ.
Singapore Airlines First Class or Business Class using KrisFlyer Miles + Cheap Flight or Award to Shanghai
You can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points 1:1 to Singapore KrisFlyer, enabling you to see all award space and book first class or business class at a discount online. You can also now
book Singapore Airlines Suites awards, although so far only 1 award seat in Suites class is being released. Singapore to Shanghai is about 5.5 hours, and you can get a cheap economy ticket for about $420 roundtrip on China Eastern or book an award flight.
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