Just returned from a three-night stay at the Indigo. This boutique hotel is located on the Bund with a stunning view on the river and the Pudong skyline. Location is fine, close (20+ min. walk) to where you'll likely go out: Peace Hotel / M on the Bund / Mr & Mrs Bund / Bar rouge. The hotel design is a big positive and rooms are decorated with taste in a NYC-loft-meets-traditional-China style. Where else would you take so many pictures of your hotel room? Positives (+): Service, breakfast buffet (Illy espresso please), bathroom with Toto toilets and rain shower, very clean rooms, once again stunning view, nice bar on the 30th floor, small swimming pool. On the less positive sides: Too firm, giant pillows (smaller, softer would be preferred); yes Wi-Fi is free but slow and some indispensable international websites are blocked; You keep missing the elevator as it lacks a 'dong'; Air-conditioning did not work properly (room too cold); finally staff added me to InterContinental's Priority Club Rewards scheme without asking me (thank you for the spam). Bottomline, this is a very good hotel in Shanghai, not too expensive, but more for leisure than business.

What more can one say that hasnt been said in reviews before.
Right from the start, the lobby was unusual and very attractive with lots of modern and retro artefacts. We were made most welcome by the lobby staff.
The suite gave us a river view across to Pudong - well worth the extra expense. The compfortable bed and interesting furnishings added to our delight. The bathroom was modern with a bath in the window, a separate rain shower cubicle and an amazing wc - heated seat and unusual but efficient electronic controls!!
We ate in both restaurants. The Char was delicious for special occasions. The restaurant on the 6th floor was well managed by the French maitre d' and was more reasonably priced. Julie has done a first class job as the chief chef.
The service throughout was excellent and friendly.
We found the location to be great within easy walking distance to shopping and ferry to Pudong.
Well done to everyone.
We will certainly come back.

I do not normally review hotels I have stayed at (whether +ve or –ve experiences). However, reflecting on hotels I have stayed at over the past 12 months, I find that the impression I had of the Hotel Indigo Shanghai on the Bund was outstanding. It is the best Boutique Hotel I have stayed at for a long time.

The Hotel opened in 2010, but it was a bit too expensive for me on business travel to Shanghai. On this trip I was travelling together with my wife and we stopped in Shanghai for two nights for Chinese Valentine’s Day (August 23).

Most people on TripAdvisor have mentioned the great views that are indeed a wonderful feature of the Hotel. The Hotel is very close to the Huangpu River (on the bank) and from our river view room on the 15th floor we had excellent views up and down the river and straight across to the skyscrapers in the Financial District and Pudong area skyline.

We really enjoyed the unusual/unique décor of the hotel and the room. We spent the first 30 minutes or more looking at everything and taking photos of the room. There were many features you would expect:– 24 hour room service dining, large bed, separate bathroom, shower room (Rain Shower) and toilet, free high speed Wi-Fi that works well, plenty of conveniently located power outlets, large desk, satellite TV and the staff in reception, restaurants and bars were friendly, had a good level of training and spoke good English. Room size was very comfortable and had a bit of a small apartment feel. The bathroom facilities and oversized shower area with floor to ceiling views out across the river was a standout. My wife loved the room and the beautiful Shanghai decorations and artefacts. The hotel itself has plenty of interesting artwork and many people enjoyed the reception area.

Hotel facilities:- We used and enjoyed the 6th floor which had a range of offerings from great coffee and refreshments with a Café menu, to breakfast, lunch and dinner options, or areas to simply relax. The swimming pool on the 7th floor was a good size to actually swim and to watch the “river traffic”. The rooftop bar was really worth a sunset and/or early evening cocktail, although the cocktails were a bit disappointing and seemed very low strength alcohol. Again amazing views. The Char Restaurant had a pleasant atmosphere, very attentive and well trained service staff, reasonably good food and a good wine list. Unfortunately we found the Char generally too expensive for what it offered. The 6th floor was more reasonably priced.

Transportation appeared to be more of a problem than on the Pudong side of the river. Taxis were hard to find around peak hour and depending on the time of day taxis were reluctant to take you back to the hotel from the Pudong side of the river.

Overall it is the best Boutique Hotel I have stayed at for a long time, not unreasonably priced and well worth the additional cost for the executive level river view.

This hotel is very tastefully decorated and feels luxurious. Although it is large it still has a boutique feel to it. The rooms are well equipped and tastefully styled.
The bar is possibly the best view of the shanghai skyline and the bund at night and is a very comfortable and relaxed space. Prices in the bar were 80 RMB for entry level red wine (Shiraz) and about 20 RMB for soda water. A small selection of snacks are available to order if you a a little hungry. We found the service to be good and the staff were respectful.
We have not visited the restaurant yet but we know it is highly regarded and has equally excellent views over the city.
Without any doubt this is a beautiful hotel.
What lets the hotel down is the poor service in reception, as this is possibly the most important department in the hotel this is a serious flaw. When I arrived at reception to check in I approached with a smile and said hello, the reply was 'passport'! For a moment I thought I had been transported back in time to nazi Germany. This was not a great start. Fortunately once I was identified as a platinum loyalty card holder the mood changed and I was bid 'Welcome to our Hotel'.
There is no concierge to speak of and the staff on duty have very little English. The reception staff are little or no help in arranging anything at all, even a taxi is easier to direct yourself. If you choose this hotel be prepared to be on your own without any useful help with languages, reservations or excursions. Having travelled from Beijing where the staff were excellent and had much better language skills I have to admit I am surprised. I expected better.