Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World

Rooms and decor

The Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World is a 47-floor tower shaped like a golden key, rising out of the top of the New World City Mall on the west side of People's Square. It first opened in 2005, was last renovated in 2019, and holds 520 rooms. Reviewers who ask for the highest Superior King they can book often land around the 38th floor — 32 sqm, done in grey-silver and deep navy. The 1.8-metre King bed sits on a 28cm Simmons mattress, firm but soft in the right measure, and you pick from a 5-pillow menu (guest reviews single out the duck-down and the memory-foam ones). A thick European duvet keeps things warm with the air-con set to 22°C. The long picture window looks straight onto the People's Square roundabout, the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Tower across in Pudong. The grey marble bathroom has a rain shower and a cast-iron tub, with eucalyptus-scented Anyah soap from Italy.

Food and amenities

The standout is the revolving Epicure bar on the 45th floor, which circles the full Shanghai skyline once every 1 hour 30 minutes. Go up around 7pm and the Pudong tower lights come on just as the sky turns. The cover is $21 a head and includes a drink; the Pudong Sunset — pineapple with Champagne — runs $17. The 360-degree view lines up the Shanghai Tower, SWFC, the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Huangpu River in a clear row. Downstairs there's an 18-metre indoor pool on floor 7 (warm at 28°C, glass ceiling, open 6:00–22:00) — reviewers say 7am is the quiet window, with barely anyone around. The 24-hour gym runs 15 Technogym machines fitted new in 2023, and the Vital Senses spa on floor 8 does a 60-minute Chinese massage for $111. The Larkspur buffet on floor 6 covers breakfast with xiaolongbao, dim sum and a full western spread.

Location and getting there

You're on the west side of People's Square, atop the New World City Mall, with the People's Square metro right at the door — that's lines 1, 2 and 8, which fan out across the whole city. The Nanjing Road shopping street is an easy walk, and the lobby itself sits up on floor 4 at the top of the mall, under a two-storey glass ceiling and a Swarovski chandelier of 2,000 lights.

Things to know before booking

This is a luxury tower, so rates start high — the Superior King opens around $119 a night and climbs from there. People's Square is one of the busiest, most crowded districts in central Shanghai, which is the trade-off for being this central. And rooms go fast in high season, so lock in your dates early if they're fixed.

Our take

Radisson Blu Shanghai New World fits couples marking a special night, families showing the kids the city from above, and anyone with meetings around People's Square. We give it 9.4, with extra credit for the revolving Epicure bar, the best skyline view in the district, and the 5-pillow menu — a 5-star that works out as better value than the Marriott in the same area.