Andaz Xintiandi

“Ok option - but nothing special”

Reliable hotel. Nice and large rooms (was probably upgraded - stay here as it is Hyatt property). Everything is good but nothing is very good. If you like the location and it’s cheaper than langham just across the street it can be a good option.

“Great stay, very typical “Andaz””

What a lovely stay we had! Some of the reviews of this property that I’ve read are way too harsh. Yes, it shows its age a bit but not in a way that would be too severe (maybe with the exception of the pool- I’ll get to that later). What we loved about the property the most is that it’s well and t... more

What a lovely stay we had! Some of the reviews of this property that I’ve read are way too harsh. Yes, it shows its age a bit but not in a way that would be too severe (maybe with the exception of the pool- I’ll get to that later). What we loved about the property the most is that it’s well and truly an Andaz. Cool artwork in the public areas, upbeat music in the lobby area and overall a slightly younger and more fashionable crowd than what you’d find in your run of the mill quiet-piano-music beige toned carpets 5 Star hotel (try the Langham next door which oozes beige from afar). This was the perfect match for the Xintiandi neighbourhood which is very posh and stylish with plenty of overpriced fashion shops. Overall Check in was efficient and English well spoken enough though our check in lady had the worst BO I’ve ever encountered with any hotel staff, but there seems to be a severe lack of deo spray in China generally we’ve noticed. We had applied a Globalist suit upgrade award and found it very well spent during our 5 night stay here. Yes, there are a few scuff marks on the floor boards but hey, nice wooden floor boards throughout which I’d always prefer over a rotten carpet. The bed was typical Andaz and so comfortable that we did never want to get up. Speaking of “typical Andaz”- I loved that this is one of the older Andaz properties that’s located in a fancy and cool area of town, has lots of cool artwork everywhere and is a bit understated in its luxury. It reminded me a lot of the Andaz in West Hollywood or London Liverpool Street which are both amongst my favourite hotels in the world. The newer Andaz properties, while still nice, tend to be a bit over-the-top luxury which is a bit more exchangeable in my views. So, yes, very happy with this property, loved the cool colour lit bathroom (bedroom lights also colourful) with the open plan rain shower, the spacious separate work room and a very bizarre seperate corner of the room with an exercise bike within (!) which didn’t love so much as it’s a totally unnecessary gimmick and worst, the video screen of the bike runs 24/7 and adds some unwelcome light to the room at night. We noticed that you can’t even switch it off or at least pull the plug as the matter is somehow connected underneath the floor boards and can’t be reached- annoying! We also the Andaz-typical free minibar plus evening happy hour in the lobby bar which was a nice added benefit. The location of the property is full of overpriced fashion and jewellery shops which itself is a bit boring but it seems to be the cool part of town with plenty of bars, restaurants and just fun and fashionable people to look at- we totally loved it. There’s also several Metro stations within walking distance and a DiDi over to the Bund is a short 10 or so minutes ride. Biggest highlight must have been the breakfast buffet- such a huge choice and especially the local dishes were of amazingly high quality. You could get a whole selection of different noodle dishes, very tasty pan fried dumplings and all sorts of other things. Western selection included Eggs Benedict, omelette and even a carving station with baked ham. Both variety and quality was outstanding and staff very helpful and efficient- no problem if you don’t speak Mandarin, even some of the chefs spoke English! And the biggest gripe- that would be the swimming pool. It feels old and not very hygienic: There was a government-issued pool hygiene sign by the wall indicating this pool is only tested as “Average” and it felt like that- the pool is essentially an infinity pool that constantly overflows but instead of flowing into some pretty pebbles or into a gutter, the water just sips onto the mouldy mats all around it. Yikes. We were also hassled into wearing an uncomfortable and annoying swimming cap even though I hardly have any hair and my partner wears hair really short. This has happened elsewhere in China too but we felt that generally, Chinese do not treat pools as a relaxing past time, rather as a sports venue of sorts. Very sterile, usually some tiger parents shouting at their kids to teach them swimming and that’s about it. Definitely not a place where one would want to relax and enjoy themselves which is a real shame.

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“Great Location”

I stayed here because of the Hyatt connection, and was satisfied, most notably, with the location. I can easily walk to the Bund (about 30 minutes) as well as other off-the-radar locations, too. Clean, comfortable room, blah, blah, blah, and I was given one on the 25th floor with an excellent... more

I stayed here because of the Hyatt connection, and was satisfied, most notably, with the location. I can easily walk to the Bund (about 30 minutes) as well as other off-the-radar locations, too. Clean, comfortable room, blah, blah, blah, and I was given one on the 25th floor with an excellent view of Xintiandi, which was, of course, nice. Daily Happy Hour didn't hurt either, with a Qingdao going down easy. Overall, nice hotel, with an excellent location...

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