We took a taxi from Shanghai South Railway Station to Sofitel Shanghai Hyland. This four-star hotel is located in the heart of the pedestrian commercial hub of Nanjing Road and within walking distance of People's Square and the Bund.

The hotel lobby has a cozy warm atmosphere, very spacious with seating areas and couches. Upon arrival at the reception desk, fortunately, we received a FREE UPGRADE from Standard Room (US$ 159.00 per night) to Sofitel Suite.



The Sofitel Suite contains a bedroom and a living room separated by a connecting door. The living room has a sofa with center table, writing desk and chair, LCD TV set, minibar with coffee/tea making facility (which was re-filled daily) and a safety deposit box. The long marble window seat which extends right along one side of the room is facing the side street. As for the Internet access, the hotel charged us 120 Yuan for a 24-hour use.

The next room has a Queen-size bed with crisp cotton bedspread and matching bedside tables and lamps. Another LCD TV set is also found here.



The en-suite bathroom has a bathtub with shower, water closet and hand basin, hairdryer, bathrobes, complimentary bathroom kit comprising of shampoo, bath foam, soap, shower caps, dental kit, cotton buds, nail file, shoe polish kit and sewing kit. Bedroom Slippers were also provided but they never gave us a new pair the next day.



We enjoyed a free full hearty buffet breakfast for two at the huge lobby Bar.



As soon as we were seated, our waiter appeared with a tray of delicious breads served on our table and there was also a nice selection of various bread spreads. He asked if we would like coffee or tea. We both said yes to a cup of brewed coffee.



They offer international cuisine, assorted fresh bread, pancakes, pizza, selected meat and cold cuts, different kind of cheeses, cereal and desserts. The fruit selection wasn't particularly impressive as there were only few choices. Drinks were coffee, tea, milk, orange, apple and grapefruit juices. One of our favorites was the mouthwatering sausage. All was outstandingly presented in the contemporary setting.



Some has criticized the location of Sofitel Hyland for being touristy, but hb and I found it to be a terrific place especially for outdoor shopping. Since the hotel is located in Nanjing Road, we enjoyed strolling down the block with wide array of clothing stores. The hotel is also just a steps away from a coffee shop and restaurants such as Ajisen Ramen, KFC and Yoshinoya.


There's a huge bookstore just two blocks away from the hotel. Subway Line 1 and 2 are also within walking distance. During our two-day stay here, I noticed the hotel guests were mostly Westerners and Europeans.