I have been staying at the Ritz Portman off and on for over 10 years. Until the beginning of last year, I stayed here nearly once a month. Then, the service slumped to a level that became very dissappointing and I moved on to other hotels in town - including the Hyatt on the Bund, Shangri-la, and the Fairmont Peace Hotel. None of these other places stuck and, earlier this week, I decided to give the Portman another try. I'm very glad that I did.

The Portman is one of Shanghai's older 5 star hotels, so if you are looking for the newest building and the trendiest spot, there will be other places of more interest to you. However, if you want an efficient, comfortable and very pleasant place to stay, for business or pleasure, definitely consider this property.

Other posts have already described its excellent location and physical amenities, so I will talk about the thing that I think is the most important about a hotel....the service. My job requires me to travel around Asia almost every week, so I know a thing or two about hotels in the region. The one problem that I find in many Chinese cities is that, although a hotel may be brand new and have wonderful hardware, it is often understaffed by employees who are either poorly trained or completely unenthusiastic about their jobs. This was definitely not the case with my most recent visit to the Portman.

From the minute that I checked-in until my departure, the staff treated me like an old friend. The service was intuitive, efficient and non-obstrusive...little touches stood out - upon entering my room, there were cookies, diet Cokes (both my favorites) and hand written notes from both my room attendant and the General Manager, welcoming me and offering their services to make my stay more pleasant. These were not pre-printed messages, but hand written notes! I am not a VIP or anyone special - just a regular hotel guest. I had not stayed here for a year, and yet, they remembered my preferences. This shows the attention that every level of staff at this hotel pays to create a good customer experience.

Housekeeping in my room was efficient and excellent. My safe did not work when I checked in, but a maintenance person came and fixed it within 10 minutes of my reporting the problem. I was greeted in the elevators and public areas by every staff member that I encountered (including maintenance people) WITHOUT fail. The gym is large and well equipped (lots of tredmills and weights), and there is free wifi in the room.

My stay was capped by Vicky, who checked me out at the front desk. She not only greeted me like a long lost friend, but also escorted me to my car outside - even though it was freezing cold. This kind of attitude needs to be recognized and appluaded. I'm not sure what happened during the last year to have the staff turn around so much. However, it's terrific, and I look forward to my next stay at the Portman.

The Ritz Portman is a text book example of what a 5 star hotel should be -

My Second stay at the property was quite different than my first, reminding me that China is a Corporation, and my last stay was during the run-up to the China Expo World Fair which was nearly across the street from the Hotel. The first visit was in October of 2009 and the second October of 2011.

I know bookings and visits can often be tailored to a persons itinerary when going to China for work, where my days are packed with visits to empty City Center complexes with the CIty Leader and his compatriots prior to visiting our production facilities, etc… Not that I am a dignitary of course, rather I have a great Business Manager who arranges my travel through contacts in the Trade Ministry, who then go down the ladder, eventually getting to the "City Leader for the Industrial Zone I am visiting.

Why is that important about the Portman Ritz? I have read other reviews about the rooms not being up to par, etc… And suspect many are unfamiliar with the Chinese Facade and what they term "copy-cat culture." My rooms at the Portman have always been neuveau modern classic, sporting travertine covered bathrooms, certainly copied Kohler Bathroom sets, and solid wood furniture. I've always stayed on the higher floors.

The room service has been on par with what I would expect for late-night food. The Bar I visited regularly late had top shelf liquor and made good drinks, although I prefer Jack and Coke. I have never eaten in the hotel restaurants, although I have tried the "Copy Cat" trendy looking eateries at the base plaza shopping area. Totally adequate for a nice shopping district, but not what an American excited to be staying at the Ritz would think of as top shelf.

The hotel has never made a mistake with my travel. They pick me up from the airport on time in an Audi A8, they drop me off on time, and they have during both trips kept large parcels and extra luggage securely, while I made 1 and 2 day trip to regional Cities. For those that comment that "This is not 5 Star" or "Not up to Ritz standards," they must simply go to a massive city like Jinan and stay in a 5 star hotel with a western Luxury Brand association. Their version of Copy Cat is not only a totally bizarre miss-mash of styles, but as you are further from the coast, their knowledge of what they are copying is distorted, and a copy of a copy of a copy.

Note that there are Apartment Buildings in the complex, that you can purchase. I would say that most of the clientele was Australian, other Asian nations, and a smattering of obnoxious Americans (and loud Aussies) making demands as if they were in a Las Vegas Casino High Roller Suite -

This most recent trip the most notable change was the level of English spoken by staff. Not as many fluent employees, where in 2009 every single person was close to eloquent - Again, just past the Olympics and just before the Expo. Like language, every man and every woman not perfectly beautiful, tall, and slim.

I would absolutely recommend you stay here. Locals once told me, "That would never happen at your hotel!" in a conversation about stereotypes and tourism crime. They basically explained that a place like the Ritz is off limits to criminals - Either because of police, or a general understanding amongst the gangs that you do not make any mistakes in the area of the Portman. This is very important in a City like Shanghai, as you would notice, were you not on a tour, that a simple 1 block detour from a beautiful facade is a regular neighborhood - Basically every square block home is the same. A cube of 2 stories entered through an archway into a courtyard. Bathroom on the ground floor and sometimes the second. 4 to 6 small bedrooms/rooms, and a tiny 2 burner propane wok setup, some areas for cutting, and that is it. Don't take this adventure unless you really want to see behind the curtain.

Lastly - Every Taxi, Police officer, and most random people know exactly where the Portman is. If you get lost, a card from the front desk will get you back. Like crime, you are far less likely to get a tour of the city in the cab, as your driver will not risk backlash from bothering a guest.

Yes, not The Ritz or other 5 Star American Property where you pay $750 a night. But it is a close copy, and still VERY good.

Note that you should shop for prices using an Asian travel site in english mode, as the prices are manufactured to fit what they believe you expect you should pay. Rooms booked in the US might run $400, while those through Agoda might be $89. Not kidding you !!!!

The hotel is nice but I would also say dated to some degree. At check in I was booked for a non-smoking room but they had me for a smoking room. Their solution was to take the ashtrays out of the room. I tried it but the smell was terrible so I finally demanded another room which took severals calls and finally a demand to talk to the manager. I was moved to a slightly smaller room just down the hallway on the same floor. I was club level and the club was very nice as I was there on business with 4 other people and we were able to have some meeting over drinks and food. The bed was excellent and the pillows were awesome! Over all room amenities were what you would expect from Ritz. A tip is that there is a taxi queue to the right out the front door, show your room key to make sure that you get the best service.

No view, but excellent locale within easy walking distance to sights, shopping and restauatnts/ The rooms are abit dated, but still good accommodation. The Ritz Bar on the second floor is very pricey (33% above The Vue on the top-36 floor of Hyatt with a view of the Bund), and the service is poor.