Hyatt on the Bund, Shanghai, May 2017
The Location:
I stayed at Hyatt on the Bund in Shanghai during my recent May business trip. I was going to travel to Suzhou the next morning after my arrival in Shanghai and since I wasn’t going to go in the office in Pudong, decided to check out this hotel in Puxi. I paid corporate rate of RMB1,380 per night for room and breakfast.
The hotel is located at the northern end of the Bund. It is away from the main Bund area but you can take an easy 5mins walk to the Bund from there. I don’t see many nice restaurant options around this area, so if you stay here and want to eat outside the hotel, your best option is probably to walk to the Bund.
The hotel has 2 towers, East Tower and West Tower. I was given room 2232 in the East Tower. Breakfast restaurant is in West Tower. Both towers are connected by a link Bridge on the second level.
The Room:
Room was modern and has an open concept bathroom. But there is a sliding door which can give you privacy if you are sharing the room with a friend. I kind of like this open concept bathroom. Works for couples or for single travelers like me.
Open style bathroom – Hyatt on the Bund
Bedroom is of comfortable size and has a nice view of the Bund. I was in the East tower and so did not have a good view of the Oriental Pearl Tower as it was on my right. But the view of the Bund on Puxi was excellent. It is especially beautiful at night.
Hyatt on the Bund
View of the Bund from my room
One normally cannot assess Facebook in China. But the wifi at Hyatt on the Bund, like the one at the Grand Hyatt in Pudong, allows Facebook assess. So this is a big plus if you are a regular Facebook user.
The Restaurants:
1. Xindalu-China Kitchen
I decided to have my dinner at Xindalu-China Kitchen (新大陆), the Chinese restaurant of Hyatt on the Bund. It is a restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide for 2017.
The signature dish of this restaurant is its Peking Duck. You can find the famous Hangzhou dishes, like the Dongbo pork and Songsao fish soup from Hubin 28, Hyatt Regency Hangzhou’s highly rated Chinese restaurant, here too. From the photos, i notice that Hubin28’s unique way of serving the dongbo pork in a pyramid is repeated here too. Incidentally, the Peking Duck at Made in China, Grand Hyatt Beijing’s Chinese restaurant is also one of the best that you can get in Beijing. The popular Made in China Gyoza fish served in a crisp web is available here too. The menu here seems to be made up of the famous dishes from Hyatt’s other well rated Chinese restaurants from other parts of China.
The restaurant has a open concept show kitchen. As I was alone, I highly appreciated being seated at a table directly in front of the show kitchen.
Xindalu – China Kitchen, Hyatt on the Bund
Pre-order of the Peking Duck is recommended if it is a must have for you. I tried to pre-order but was told by the concierge that it is fully booked during my preferred meal time. However, when I arrived at the restaurant and enquired, the captain was able to accommodate me as another table had order half a duck. Do I could have the other half. Yes, you can only get a whole duck or half a duck, nothing less. So I had half a duck to myself….????
When the duck arrived, the chef carved it in my presence.
Chef carving the Peking Duck
First I was served the top layer of the skin only from the breast area of the duck. This is eaten on its own just dipped in sugar. This is usually the best part of the dish. The skin should be crisp. But I was a little disappointed when I was served. I felt the skin was a little soggy. Definitely not up to the standard of the one I made in Grand Hyatt Beijing.
