Radisson Blu Shanghai New World — The Cylindrical Tower with a Revolving Restaurant on Floor 45
If your priority in Shanghai is the best central location at a 4-star price, the Radisson Blu New World is the one that experienced travellers keep coming back to. Score 8.5/10 from more than 8,000 real guest reviews. The hotel's distinctive cylindrical tower sits at the western end of Nanjing Road — a recognisable Shanghai landmark — directly above one of the city's most important metro interchanges. Honest take: location and the revolving sky restaurant are what set this apart from competitors in the same price bracket.
Here's the scenario that makes this hotel make sense. You step off the metro at People's Square station — Line 1, Line 2 or Line 8, it doesn't matter — and within 60 seconds you're through the hotel's front door. No crossing a major road, no queuing for a taxi rank, no second connection. That's the reality of the location at 88 Nanjing Road West. For first-time visitors to Shanghai who want to spend their days exploring rather than navigating from a distant base, that single fact is worth a great deal.
"Walked out of the hotel and onto Nanjing pedestrian street in five minutes flat. Couldn't believe how central it was — this location is genuinely unbeatable for the price."
Rooms start with the Standard, a comfortable size without being oversized. White bedding, a well-appointed bathroom, and the standard fittings you'd expect from Radisson Blu. The real difference comes on the upper floors: a high-floor room facing People's Park gives you a panoramic view of the green lungs of central Shanghai, framed by the city skyline on every side. The price gap between a mid-floor room and a higher floor is often smaller than guests expect — worth asking at check-in. Deluxe and Superior rooms offer more space and a cleaner view angle.
The feature most guests mention in reviews is Epicure on 45 — the revolving restaurant and sky bar on the 45th floor that completes one full 360-degree rotation slowly over the course of an evening. Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai Tower, The Bund waterfront — all of it passes your window during a single dinner. Guest reviews consistently say that even just going up for a drink at the bar, rather than a full meal, is worth it. The indoor pool and spa provide a quieter option for anyone needing to decompress after a full day of the city.
On location, the facts speak for themselves. People's Square metro station serves Lines 1, 2 and 8 — effectively the spine of the entire Shanghai metro system. From here: Pudong (Oriental Pearl, Shanghai Tower, SWFC) is a few stops on Line 2; The Bund is a short walk or one stop east; Yu Garden is one stop on Line 10. Shanghai Museum sits directly across the road. People's Park is a three-minute walk. In terms of what you can reach without taking a taxi, this address is among the strongest in the city.
A score of 8.5/10 from over 8,000 reviews across platforms reflects consistent guest satisfaction, particularly on location. The recurring criticisms are two: some rooms and bathrooms show their age — the design isn't as fresh as newer hotels in the same neighbourhood — and the lobby area gets congested during peak check-in and check-out periods. Both are real limitations. Neither changes the fundamental appeal of the address.
The short version is this — Radisson Blu New World is the most practically located 4-star hotel in our Shanghai Top 10, and the Epicure on 45 revolving restaurant is a genuine differentiator that no competitor in this price range can match. If you're visiting Shanghai for the first time and want to step out of the lobby each morning and simply start exploring, this is the address to book. The rooms aren't the newest on the market, but the location argument is hard to beat.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Best location of any 4-star in central Shanghai — 1 min to Lines 1/2/8
- ✓ Epicure on 45 revolving restaurant and sky bar with 360° views
- ✓ 5-minute walk to Nanjing Road pedestrian street
- ✓ Shanghai Museum and People's Park directly across the road
- ! Some rooms and bathrooms are showing their age — design isn't as contemporary as newer competitors
- ! Lobby congestion during peak check-in and check-out hours
- ✓ Walk out of the hotel straight to the metro — 1 minute
- ✓ High-floor rooms with views over People's Park are genuinely impressive
- ✓ Epicure on 45 sky bar worth the trip up even for just a drink
- ✓ Indoor pool and spa available on site
- ! Some bathrooms have older fittings
- ! Wi-Fi signal can be patchy in certain room locations
- 💡If a contemporary room design matters more than location · Radisson Blu New World is a well-established property and some rooms show their age · Fix → see Atour Hotel Nanjing Road in our list for newer interiors at a similar price
- 💡If budget is tight · Rates of ¥600–1,100/night (฿3,000–5,500) may be above budget during busy periods · Fix → see ibis Shanghai Nanjing Road in our list — similar neighbourhood, under half the price
- 💡If you prefer a quieter boutique atmosphere over a large hotel · This is a 520-room property with busy public areas · Fix → see URBN Hotel in our list — small, quiet, genuinely different character