When I came to Shanghai, I was always afraid of staying and running back and forth between tourist attractions. This time, I directly settled down at the Grand Central Hotel Shanghai - Nanjing Road next to People's Square, dragged my suitcase out of the subway and looked up to see it. Only then did I understand what it meant to 'put the core of Shanghai in front of my doorstep' - pushing open the glass door, the traffic and crowds outside were gently separated. In the busiest city center, I found a suitable place where I didn't want to leave even after staying for three days.
Take Line 2 directly from Hongqiao Station to People's Square Station, and walk 30 meters from Exit 19 to directly connect to the hotel lobby. You don't have to bask in the sun or rain throughout the journey, and even crossing the street is saved. The tall lobby does not have the crowded feeling of a downtown hotel. The warm light falls on the marble floor, and the check-in staff reminds me with a smile that the high-rise rooms can see the green of People's Square and the skyline of Lujiazui at the same time. The breakfast area by the window can directly see the eaves of the Shanghai Museum. These small and thoughtful details instantly relieve the exhaustion of rushing.
Open the door of the city view house in the high district, and the whole floor to ceiling glass window first hits the eye. Under the foot is the continuous wutong trees in the People's Square. In the distance, the three piece suit in Lujiazui looms in the clouds, and even the wind carries the unique fresh breath of the city center. The layout of the room is spacious yet not empty, with light toned soft furnishings paired with just the right amount of metal details. There is no excessive sense of luxury, but practicality is evident everywhere: the spacious desk by the window is equipped with a protective lamp, multiple fast charging sockets are within reach, and the 2-meter wide bed is covered with high count cotton bedding, which is soft and not collapsing when lying down. After two days of travel fatigue, the moment of lying down, most of it is scattered.
What surprised me most was the convenience of the location. I hardly ever took a bus when I lived here: walk downstairs for 5 minutes to Nanjing Road Walkway, and you can stroll to the time-honored Dim sum shop without taking the subway; Take a 10 minute turn and feel the river breeze on the Bund. In the evening, you don't have to rush to wait for the lights to turn on at Lujiazui; You can walk 15 minutes to Yu Garden. Even the Shanghai Museum is opposite the hotel. In the morning, you can get up slowly and queue up. You don't have to rush here from the suburban hotel an hour in advance. If you get tired of strolling, you can always turn back to the hotel, run two laps in the 24-hour fitness center, or soak in the heated swimming pool and watch the city lights slowly turn on outside the window.
In those days, I didn't have to hurry. In the morning, I ate a bowl of freshly cooked small Wonton in the morning restaurant of the hotel with the scenery outside the window, and then went to the museum to see the exhibition. In the afternoon, I bought the freshly baked butterfly crisp along Nanjing Road, and in the evening, I went to the Bund to blow the evening wind. When I was tired, I could always return to the hotel and collapse. There is no sense of check-in deliberately created by internet famous hotels. Even the cleaning lady passing by would smile and remind me which alley nearby has the most authentic local cuisine.
The day I left Shanghai, I stood at the door of the hotel and looked back. wutong leaves in the People's Square were waving in the wind, and the city skyline in the distance was warm. It turns out that the most rare thing in Shanghai is never a high priced room with a direct view of the river, but living in the heart of the city and having a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Next time I come to Shanghai, I will definitely come back here and stroll around the city again under the morning light of People's Square.Show more