fjxflora
March 1, 2026
The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong – The Worst Ritz Ever: Cold Service, Questionable Hygiene, and a Terrible Experience. As a loyal Ritz-Carlton guest, my stay at the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong was the worst, most disappointing, and least luxurious experience I've ever had at a Ritz. It was a complete disaster from start to finish, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
First, the front desk staff was incredibly cold and unhelpful. They were stingy and lacked any service consciousness. When I handed over my ID, the staff didn't even look up, reach out to take it, or offer any greeting or smile. Their attitude was aloof and perfunctory, lacking even basic politeness. When I asked if a complimentary children's breakfast could be provided since I had a child staying later, the front desk staff responded in an extremely cold tone, stating that they would only consider it after checking my membership level. There was no kindness or flexibility throughout the interaction. The service lacked warmth, and the hotel, overall, came across as incredibly stingy.
Second, the front desk staff demonstrated zero professionalism and openly misled guests. When I inquired about butler service, the front desk absurdly told me that 'Ritz doesn't have butler service, only St. Regis does,' essentially implying I should stay at a St. Regis. However, I clearly saw numerous guest reviews on Trip.com explicitly stating that the Ritz-Carlton Pudong offers butler service. The front desk was unaware of even the most basic services of their own hotel and openly misled guests, showing extremely poor professionalism and a highly perfunctory attitude.
Third, the room's hygiene details were terrible. There were other people's hairs on the bath towel. The room cleaning was very subpar. There were long black hairs from another guest on the towel hanging in the bathroom, and my hair is blonde, so it clearly wasn't mine. As a high-end hotel, encountering such hygiene issues is absolutely unacceptable.
Fourth, the room was cold and noisy, and we were repeatedly disturbed, almost catching a cold.
The first room faced the sharp corner of a building, and the view was oppressively unbearable. After changing rooms, we were given a room with a very partial side view of the Oriental Pearl Tower. The room was damp and cold, the air conditioning was noisy, and it blew cold air instead of warm. After reporting the issue, the front desk was perfunctory. Even though they knew the engineering department had already checked it, they repeatedly said they would send people up, causing constant disturbances. The front desk's statements were contradictory. Later, after being upgraded to a suite, the hotel provided a heater that was practically useless. It was still damp and cold at night, and I had to buy an electric blanket myself to barely get some sleep, almost catching a cold.
Fifth, the breakfast was perfunctory, limited in variety, and the service was inadequate. The breakfast selection was pitifully small. All the steamed buns were pre-made semi-finished products. Only wonton noodles could be cooked fresh. The tables were messy, and I had to actively call someone to clear the plates. It completely failed to meet the standards of a high-end hotel breakfast.
Eventually, unable to tolerate the damp coldness of the room, we moved to the JW Marriott. From the concierge to the front desk, the service was warm, with smiles throughout, and proactively thoughtful. They proactively informed us about check-in procedures, making us truly feel respected. The Marriott's welcome amenities were delivered to the room before check-in, ample and thoughtful. In contrast, the Ritz-Carlton waited until after guests checked in to deliver items sporadically, and the welcome fruit selection was extremely limited and perfunctory, completely lacking genuine generosity or the elegance and warmth expected of a luxury brand. Throughout our stay, they only answered questions when asked, never being proactive, thoughtful, or problem-solving. The service was cold, hygiene was questionable, professionalism was zero, and details were subpar across the board. This was the worst Ritz-Carlton I've ever stayed in, and I sincerely do not recommend it.
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