The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai

Service: The hotel staff provided excellent service, even assisting with our luggage and delivering it to the room. Ambiance: The hotel boasts an elegant environment. However, we did encounter a minor issue initially. Our first room, located at the end of the 19th-floor corridor, had a continuous loud rumbling noise from outside the window, which sounded like an external air conditioning unit and was quite disturbing. Fortunately, the staff promptly moved us to a new room, which was also an upgrade. We were very satisfied with how they resolved the situation. Cleanliness: The room was impeccably clean. Breakfast: The breakfast spread was quite good, offering a wide variety of options. We also noticed many international guests dining there.

Is the Ritz-Carlton trying to position itself alongside hotels like Hilton and Pullman now? Seriously, the hygiene, facilities, and service were truly subpar across the board. On the first night, the room we were assigned had a terrible stench, exactly like a dirty public restroom. We waited for over half an hour to switch rooms, only to be given another room that reeked of mildew. The bed was noticeably damp, and it was clear the linens hadn't been changed. What's more, the complimentary bottled water had already been opened! But it was too late and we were too exhausted to request another change. So, I called the front desk and informed them that I would need a different room the next day—one without any odd smells and with a dry, clean bed. The next day, after returning from lunch, we were told our new room still wasn't ready. Around 2 or 3 PM, when we were about to leave, I called the front desk again. They said the room was ready and they'd send someone with the key card (it sounded like I was talking to the operator, not the front desk directly). We then waited for 40-50 minutes, but no key card arrived. I called again, and the operator seemed surprised, asking, 'It hasn't been sent yet?' She said she'd follow up. Another twenty minutes passed, and still nothing. I called *again*, emphasizing that we were in a rush to leave and asked them to transfer our luggage for us. The operator asked us to please wait a little longer in the room, assuring us someone would be right over. After *another* considerable wait, the front desk called and said, 'Actually, your new room isn't ready yet.' Are you playing games with me?! Honestly, staying here was beyond frustrating! The pervasive mildew smell was truly nauseating.