Last month I stayed a few times at the Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Airport. I picked this hotel mainly because of its location. The hotel is located next to the Shanghai Pudong Airport and you can simply walk there from either Terminal 1 or 2, without ever going outside. It’s a 10 minutes walk and thus when you have an early flight, or are simply transferring, the location of the Holiday Inn is very convenient. Please read my review below to find out whether it’s worth it, staying at the Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Airport Hotel.
Lobby
The Holiday Inn Shanghai Pudong Airport is very new; it only opened up last year June 2025. Staying at a brand new hotel is fantastic; everything still looks fresh and new! And with this specific Holiday Inn, they did try to give it a little bit of extra luxury and design. I didn’t expect a lot from a Holiday Inn hotel, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the lobby area for the first time. The lobby looks very nice, with a cool seating area. I stayed 2 times at this hotel last month. The first time I had a standard room and the second time I opted for a suite. Check-in was always very efficient and quick. I can recommend becoming a member of IHG hotels, simply because you’re getting a better roommate when reserving your room. And during check-in, I always received a little extra benefit, simply because I was a member of IHC. I don’t even have status with IHC, but the first time I a got a bag with snacks and a soft-drink, and the second time I got a voucher for a free drink at the bar/restaurant. Surprising since again, I didn’t even have a status with IHC!
Standard Room & Suite
The standard room at the Holiday Inn is perfectly fine. Again, being a brand new hotel, everything still looked fresh and clean. Bathroom has everything you need and all in all, this Holiday Inn room looked nicer than some of the luxury hotels I stayed in recently! The big surprise was the Suite though!
The suite did surprise me. This suite was really nice with a big living room, and a real step up from the regular room. As if I stepped in a completely different hotel. The suite also came with 2 separate toilets – something which you’ll appreciate if you’re not traveling alone!
The next surprise was the bathroom; a very big bathroom with double vanity, separate shower and bath. On top of that, a very clean, modern design. Was this really a Holiday Inn hotel?
Isolation is a very important factor for me when staying in a hotel. Granted, you need to be lucky, but some rooms are more noisy than other rooms. During both stays at the Holiday Inn, I never heard anything from the hallway nor from adjacent rooms. Clean, and noise free rooms; the most important elements covered!
Restaurant
When a hotel has an on-site restaurant, it’s a big bonus for me. Especially when you’re arriving in the evening, jet-lagged, and tired, it’s great if there is a decent restaurant where you can get a small bite to eat. But what can you expect from a Holiday Inn hotel? Not much, I expected. However, I was again pleasantly surprised when I visited the restaurant in the evening. There is an extensive menu with Asian and Western dishes. I tried an Asian and Western dish and I wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary. Food was well above expectations and on top of that, the service was great. Really friendly staff, even asking if they could improve something after I paid for my dinner.
Breakfast is served at the same restaurant and the buffet is also pretty good. Plenty of choices varying from Western to Asian dishes.
Conclusion
The Holiday Inn at Shanghai Pudong Airport positively surprised me. And that’s an understatement. Really at every level, this hotel performed a lot better than I expected. From the overall design to the service. From the rooms to the restaurant. Both of my stays were excellent and above expectations. I can strongly recommend signing up for IHC membership since you are getting some benefits during check-in, as well as a better room-rate when booking your room. Finally, consider booking a suite if the difference between suite and regular room isn’t too big. The suite is just fantastic!
Also have a look at my review of the Grand Hyatt Shanghai; another hotel I stayed in during my last trip to Shanghai.
Don’t forget to check out my Youtube channel, where I posted a review of my flight with Lufthansa in their new Allegris Premium Economy cabin from Shanghai to Frankfurt.
Leave a Reply