Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang: Luxury Getaway Awaits!
Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang: Luxury Getaway…ish? A Disorganized Dive In.
Okay, buckle up, because this isn't your average, sanitized hotel review. I'm about to spill the tea – and maybe some accidental coffee spillage (thanks, me!). I recently stayed at the Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang, and well, let's just say it was… an experience. They call it "luxury." I call it… a journey.
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- Title: Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang Review: Honest Take on Luxury & More!
- Keywords: Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang, Songjiang Hotel, Shanghai Hotel Review, Luxury Hotel, Spa, Swimming Pool, Accessibility, Restaurant, Wi-Fi, Cleanliness, Safety, Family Friendly, Review, China, Hotels, Travel, Songjiang
- Description: Unfiltered review of Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang. Details on accessibility, amenities, dining, cleanliness, safety, and everything in between. Find out if it lives up to the "luxury" hype!
Let's Plunge In: The Good, The Slightly-Off, and the Utterly Bizarre…
First impressions? The exterior. Pretty slick, modern, all that jazz. Definitely the kind of place you wouldn't be ashamed to Instagram. Then you walk in, and… it's a bit of a maze. Seriously, I swear I walked in a circle for a good five minutes trying to find the front desk. Kudos to the doorman, though. He seemed unfazed by my wandering. He was probably used to it.
Accessibility: Navigating the Labyrinth (and the Elevator)
Okay, important stuff first. Wheelchair accessible? Mostly. The lobby, common areas, and at least some of the rooms seemed okay. However, dodging the wandering tourists with selfie sticks and the strategically placed potted plants presented a slight challenge. Elevator? Absolutely. Thank goodness. My legs were already tired from the initial navigation phase. They’ve got Facilities for disabled guests, which is a good thing.
Internet, Glorious Internet! (and the Occasional Frustration)
Wi-Fi in all rooms! Free-Wi-Fi! Praise be. Seriously, in this day and age, poor internet is a dealbreaker. The connection was generally good in my room, but I definitely experienced some buffering during prime-time streaming. Internet [LAN]? Yes, but who wants to mess with cables anymore? Wi-Fi in public areas? Yep. Everywhere. They know how to connect people.
Getting Around: Taxi, Car Park (and the Occasional "Lost in Translation")
Airport transfer: Available, which is a lifesaver after a long flight. Car park [free of charge]? Yes! Major win. Taxi service: Readily available. I had a mildly amusing experience trying to explain to a taxi driver where I wanted to go. My Mandarin consists of "Ni hao" and "Xie Xie." (He eventually got it.)
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: Fueling the Adventure (and the Digestive System)
Alright, the food. Here's where things get… interesting.
- Restaurants: Multiple. "Restaurants" is putting it politely. Maybe "eateries"? One with Asian Cuisine, one with International Cuisine, and a Vegetarian Restaurant (score!).
- Buffet in Restaurant: Yes! Breakfast Buffet. A standard fare, to be expected. The Breakfast [buffet] was so-so but it was hard to decide if it was the dishes or my own tastebuds.
- Room service [24-hour]? YES! Absolute lifesaver after a late night. I may or may not have ordered a mountain of french fries at 2 AM. Don't judge me.
- Coffee/tea in restaurant, coffee shop: Present. Needed.
- Snack bar, poolside bar: I saw them. I didn’t necessarily experience them. (Lack of exploration on my part, I admit).
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: Spa Day or Bust?
Spa? Yes! Spa/sauna? Yes. I'm a sucker for a good spa, so I went to go relax, and I do mean relax. I got the body scrub and the massage. The service wasn't bad. The spa experience was somewhat therapeutic. The Steamroom was amazing. Fitness center, gym/fitness: Available, though I'd seen more impressive. I just couldn’t force myself. Swimming pool [outdoor]: Gorgeous pool. But be aware, the view is slightly obstructed by neighboring high-rises. Pool with view: Yes! Although, as mentioned, the views can vary. Foot bath: They have a foot bath. I forgot.
Cleanliness and Safety: The COVID-19 Circus
Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the room (or rather, the virus lurking in the hallways). The Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang is trying.
- Daily disinfection in common areas: Tick.
- Anti-viral cleaning products: I think so? (I didn't exactly go sniffing for them.)
- Room sanitization opt-out available: Nice touch. They're trying.
- Staff trained in safety protocol: Yes.
- Hand sanitizer: Everywhere. You'll never be truly without it.
- Breakfast takeaway service: Handy!
- Physical distancing of at least 1 meter: Mostly observed. It depends heavily on the crowd.
It's also worth noting Rooms sanitized between stays, the Safe dining setup, and Sanitized kitchen and tableware items. They're making an effort, and I appreciate it. They have First aid kit.
Services and Conveniences: The Good, the "Meh," and the Unexpected
- Concierge: Helpful, if a little… lost in translation at times. I spent a good ten minutes trying to explain I wanted a map.
- Daily housekeeping: On point. My room was always spotless.
- Laundry service, dry cleaning, ironing service: Available. Needed! (See: French fries incident.)
- Elevator: Yes. Definitely a plus.
- Currency exchange: Convenient.
- Business facilities: Seemed well-equipped.
- Cash withdrawal, safe deposit boxes: Standard stuff, but important.
- Facilities for disabled guests: As mentioned above, they have them.
- Gift/souvenir shop: I saw it, but didn't explore it.
- Front desk [24-hour]: Always manned. Always helpful, eventually.
Rooms: The Cave of Comfort (or The Lack Thereof)
- Air-conditioning: Essential. It was brutal outside.
- Free Wi-Fi: Always a plus.
- In-room safe box: Standard.
- Mini bar: Pretty standard. Sadly, nothing particularly exciting.
- Bathrobes, Slippers: Luxury basics.
- Coffee/tea maker: Yes! Essential.
- Desk/Laptop workspace: Fine.
- Hair dryer: Needed!
- Wake-up service: Always helpful.
- Non-smoking: YES!
- Alarm clock, TV, Telephone: Yes, yes, and yes.
- Private bathroom: Yep.
- Mirror, toiletries, towels: All present and accounted for. The quality varied, though. The towels could have been fluffier.
For the Kids: Bringing the Little Ones
They seemed to be Family/child friendly. I don't have any kids so it was hard to assess. I did see families with kids, so that's a good sign!
In Conclusion:
The Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang? It's a solid choice, but luxury? Let's say it’s "luxury-ish." It's got the essentials, the perks, and the potential. I was left feeling generally satisfied, with a few moments of bemusement. It's a hotel that tries to impress. The staff, on the whole, were lovely, the rooms are comfortable, and the amenities are plentiful (assuming you can find them all). Would I stay again? Maybe. Especially if they have a sale on those french fries.
Mevlana Hotel Konya: Your Spiritual Escape Awaits (Luxury & History!)
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because this ain't your grandma's travel itinerary. This is the Vienna International Hotel Shanghai Songjiang Branch itinerary, unfiltered, unvarnished, and probably riddled with typos. Get ready for the glorious mess that is me, experiencing… well, experiencing Shanghai.
Vienna International Hotel Shanghai Songjiang Branch: A Chronicle of Chaos (and Possibly Dumplings)
Day 1: Arrival and the Great Hotel Room Hunt
- 12:00 PM (ish): Landed at Pudong Airport. Jet lag is a sneaky beast. Already grumpy. Found the shuttle to the hotel. Turns out, "Songjiang Branch" is… a bit out there. Like, a bit out there. Driving through what felt like endless industrial zones, my optimism started to waver. Shanghai, you haven't exactly sold me yet.
- 2:00 PM (ish): Arrived at the Vienna International, the lobby… well, it existed. Check-in… a comedy of errors in broken English and panicked hand gestures. They swear my name’s on the booking. Finally, after what felt like an interrogation, I'm handed a keycard. Room? Let's just say the "pictures" online were…aspirational. The carpet had seen better days. But hey, the air conditioning works. Small victories, right?
- 3:00 PM (ish): Reconnaissance mission! First foray into the local area. Found a 7-Eleven. Bought snacks. (Emergency chocolate stash essential). The language barrier is already a pain in the you-know-what. Simple phrases are a lifesaver. I felt like a triumphant explorer after managing to buy a bottle of water and a bag of weirdly-flavored chips.
- 5:00 PM (ish): Attempted translation of TV channels. Failed. Settled for a documentary about… something. My interest waned quickly. The jet lag is really starting to hit me.
- 7:00 PM: Okay, time to go for it. Meal Time. I found a place that looked friendly enough. I definitely wanted food. Got a plate of delicious dumplings. I think. Honestly, I don't really remember. The language barrier was too strong and I was too hungry. However, the dumplings were delicious. I'm pretty sure.
- 9:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Face-planted on the bed. Woke up at some point. Wrote this. Exhausted. Tomorrow: Actual sightseeing. Pray for me.
Day 2: The Shanghai Metro and a Dumpling Obsession
- 8:00 AM: Woke up. Blurry wake up. Took a shower, which made me feel a bit better. Needed caffeine. DESPERATELY.
- 9:00 AM: Attempted to brave the Shanghai metro. The sheer volume of people… it's intense. Google Maps got me there. Eventually. This is where the "adventure" started. Because, well… it wasn't a smooth ride.
- 10:00 AM - Noon: Lost in the urban jungle of Shanghai. Went to a park. Saw beautiful things. Wanted more dumplings.
- Noon - 1:30 PM: Did I mention dumplings? Found a tiny dumpling shop. The woman making them gave me a slight side eye. She knew I wasn't local. Didn't care. I ate ALL the dumplings. I wanted more.
- 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Stumbled upon a temple. Peaceful, serene, beautiful. I wandered, took photos, and breathed. The sheer contrast between the crazy city and the calm was overwhelming. Needed it.
- 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Metro back to the hotel. Felt drained.
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Dumped my stuff in the room. Washed the day off. Watched another bad movie on TV. It was comforting.
- 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Dumplings. Always dumplings. The same shop as before. I'm pretty sure I was now on first-name basis with the dumpling lady. It's the little things, right?
Day 3: More "Explore-ing" and a Sudden, Unexplained Craving for Noodles
- 9:00 AM: Okay, time for a more 'cultured' start. I headed out to a museum. I got lost. Found my way.
- 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Visited the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. Interesting models and exhibits, but let's be honest, I was mostly admiring the scale of Shanghai. It's massive!
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch… The craving hit me HARD. Noodles. Not dumplings this time. NOODLES. Found a random noodle place. No English menu. Pointed and hoped. Worked! Delicious, spicy noodles.
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Wandered aimlessly through a local market. Smells everywhere. Saw things I couldn’t name. People watched. Took photos. Just soaked it all in.
- 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Tired, but in a good way.
- 7:00 PM: More noodles. Different place. Same satisfaction. I have to be more adventurous in my choices tomorrow. I'm getting stuck.
- 9:00 PM: Writing this. Exhausted but happy. Shanghai is slowly, slowly growing on me.
Day 4 - The Epiphany of the Park and the Goodbye Dumplings
- 9:00 AM: It was my last day. I was sad. The hotel wasn't paradise. The city was big. The language was difficult. However, Shanghai held a strange kind of charm.
- 10:00 AM - 12:00 AM: I went back to the first park. I sat on a bench and closed my eyes. The sounds. The smells. It was lovely. Truly. I felt happy in a strange way.
- 12:00 AM - 1:00 AM: One last dumpling feast. This time I didn't try anything new. I had what I loved. That was the point.
- 2:00 PM: Time to pack. Time to leave.
- 3:00 PM: Shuttle back to the airport.
- 5:00 PM: Goodbye, Shanghai. Goodbye, Vienna International Hotel Shanghai Songjiang Branch. I'll always remember the dumplings.
- 7:00 PM: On the plane. Thinking about my trip. It wasn't perfect. Far from it. But it was my trip. And I wouldn't have changed a single messy, chaotic, dumpling-filled second. And I can't wait to come back and do it all over again.
So, there you have it. A travel itinerary less about perfect sightseeing and more about the messy, beautiful reality of experiencing a new place. Maybe this helps you. Maybe it doesn't. But hey, at least it was honest. And maybe, just maybe, it'll make you crave some dumplings.
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Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang: Your Questions, My Ramblings (and Possibly Regrets!)
Okay, so, is this place *actually* luxurious, or is it just…trying?
Alright, let's be real. Luxury in Shanghai can mean anything from "well-lit" to "gold-plated toilet seat." The Vienna Hotel in Songjiang? I'd say it leans *towards* the luxury side, but with some serious caveats. Think of it like a really stylish aunt who's maybe a little bit…loud. The lobby *definitely* makes a statement – all chandeliers and polished marble, you know? Made my jaw drop for a second. Then I saw a kid drop a lollipop and spend, like, five minutes crying over it while someone in a uniform just stood there… So, *luxury* with a side of very real life, and the potential for sticky situations.
But the rooms themselves? Pretty darn swanky. Imagine crisp white sheets, a seriously comfy bed (I may have slept a solid 12 hours!), and a bathroom that actually *looks* like it was designed for human comfort. Not the cramped, utilitarian things you often get. So yeah, luxurious-ish. But don't expect a personal diamond-encrusted butler. I'm pretty sure *I* was the butler to my own late-night noodle order.
The breakfast buffet… Is it worth waking up for? Because, honestly, sleep is precious.
Oh, the breakfast. This is where things get *interesting*. Look, if you're imagining a spread worthy of royalty, with imported artisanal cheeses and freshly squeezed dragonfruit juice…temper your expectations. It's definitely a buffet, which means a lot of things in silver chafing dishes and a general sense of "mass-produced deliciousness."
However! Here's the thing. They had congee. And the congee was…magical. Seriously. I’m not usually a congee person, but this stuff was like a warm hug on a cold morning. I went back for thirds. Thinks there were also some questionable sausages of indiscernible origin (avoid). The coffee, though, was pretty weak. Ended up ordering a second cup, and it was literally the same coffee. It was like they had an endless supply of diluted java. You know how it is with hotel coffee. You're better off buying a decent instant, tbh.
So, wake up for the congee. Skip the sausages. And maybe smuggle in a decent coffee sachet.
How's the location? Is it easy to get around? I'm not about that "stuck in a hotel room all day" life.
Okay, Songjiang. Let's talk location. The hotel is… in Songjiang. Which is a bit of a ways out in Shanghai. It's not smack-dab in the middle of the Bund, or the French Concession, or wherever the cool kids hang out. It's definitely a bit of a commute to the main tourist spots.
But! The upside is…. it's *far* less chaotic. Songjiang has a more relaxed vibe, which is… nice, actually. The Metro is reasonably accessible (walkable, if you like to walk, as the saying goes. It's a *walk*). And taxis/ride-hailing services are readily available, though the language barrier can sometimes be… entertaining. (I once ended up in a karaoke bar instead of the hotel. Long story.)
So, not ideal for a whirlwind city tour, but good if you prefer a chill base camp. Think of it as Shanghai-lite. It also has some pretty cool architecture. I saw a bridge shaped like a dragon once. And, honestly, there were fewer crowds and the air felt better.
I've heard hotel pools can be… dicey. What's the pool like?
The pool. Ah, the pool. Okay, so the *idea* of the pool at the Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang is probably more impressive than the reality. I went with high hopes. You know, visions of myself gracefully gliding through crystal-clear water, martini in hand…
In reality, it was… okay. It's indoors, which is a plus, I guess. The water *looked* clean, but I'm not sure my eyes are qualified to judge that. There was a faint smell of chlorine that honestly reminded me of high school, which isn't exactly a luxury experience you're hoping for, is it? There were also… lots of people. A family of, like, six kids splashing everywhere. It wasn’t exactly a zen-like experience.
I only lasted about 20 minutes. Decided the jacuzzi was a safer bet. The jacuzzi was… warm. More like a bath, tbh. But at least I didn't get splashed. So, make your own judgment call. Bring earplugs. Maybe a snorkel.
What about the staff? Friendly? Helpful? Do they speak English?
Ah, the staff. This is where it gets a little…patchy. Some staff members were lovely. Genuinely friendly and helpful. They went out of their way to assist, even with my terrible Mandarin (which is, admittedly, non-existent). Others… less so.
English proficiency is variable. Some staff members spoke it pretty well, which was a lifesaver. Others…not so much. I spent a solid ten minutes trying to order a bottle of water once, which involved a lot of pointing, miming, and frantic Googling. Definitely download a translation app. It'll save you a lot of awkwardness (and potential dehydration).
The takeaway? Patience is a virtue. And a smile goes a long way. Bring your sense of humor, too. You'll need it. Especially when you're trying to explain that you'd like to have your room cleaned but you're not very good at speaking Chinese.
Overall, would you recommend the Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang? Give it to me straight!
Okay, the verdict! Would I recommend the Vienna Hotel Shanghai Songjiang? It's complicated. I'd say yes…with caveats the size of the Bund. If you're looking for a quiet, comfortable, relatively-luxurious (ish!) basecamp outside the main tourist madness, then yeah, go for it.
But if you're expecting perfection, or if you're the type who gets easily stressed out, maybe look elsewhere. It's not perfect. It has its quirks. It has its moments of utter brilliance (the congee!). And it has moments where you'll want to scream into a pillow (the karaoke bar misadventure).
Ultimately, it's an experience. And what's travel without a few messy, funny, and utterly human experiences, eh? So, pack your bags, embrace the chaos, and enjoy the ride. And maybe, just *maybe*, bring your own coffee.
