SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Hongkou

SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Hongkou Overview

First Impressions

Walking into SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Hongkou, you immediately notice they’ve put real thought into the design — it’s got that contemporary boutique feel without trying too hard to be trendy. The lobby has clean lines and interesting art pieces that actually work together, not the random hotel art you usually see. What struck me most was how the staff seemed genuinely welcoming rather than just going through the motions. For a three-star property, they’ve clearly invested in creating something that feels more upscale than the rating might suggest.

Location & Getting Around

Hongkou district isn’t where most tourists end up, but honestly, that’s part of what makes this place interesting. You’re on Quyang Road, which puts you in a more residential area where you can see how locals actually live in Shanghai. The metro connections are solid — you can get to the Bund or Nanjing Road without too much hassle, but you’re not paying those premium location prices. I noticed quite a few couples during my stay, and it makes sense because the neighborhood has this quieter, more intimate vibe compared to the tourist chaos downtown.

The Room Experience

The rooms are where the boutique concept really shows. Mine had floor-to-ceiling windows that let in tons of natural light, and the design felt thoughtfully curated rather than cookie-cutter. The bed was actually comfortable (you know how hit-or-miss hotel beds can be), and there were enough power outlets in useful places — small details that matter when you’re dealing with multiple devices. The bathroom was compact but well-designed, with a rainfall shower that had decent water pressure. What I appreciated most was that everything worked properly, which sounds basic but isn’t always guaranteed.

Breakfast & Practical Perks

Breakfast here is more extensive than I expected for a three-star hotel. They do a proper buffet with both continental options and Asian dishes, so you can go for congee and dim sum or stick with pastries and coffee depending on your mood. The Asian selections felt authentic rather than watered down for Western tastes. One thing that’s genuinely helpful — they have free parking, which is actually a big deal in Shanghai where parking can be expensive and complicated. If you’re planning to rent a car or have someone driving you around, that’s real money saved.

Why Guests Love It

What makes SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Hongkou work is that it delivers more than you’d expect at this price point. The design feels intentional, the location gives you a different perspective on Shanghai, and the service has personality. It’s particularly good for couples who want something with character but don’t need to be in the middle of the tourist zone. You’re getting boutique hotel vibes without the boutique hotel prices, and in a city like Shanghai where costs can spiral quickly, that balance is pretty appealing.

Early hotels booking in Shanghai secures Suzhou Creek art walks, private calligraphy lessons, and river yacht dinners.

SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Hongkou Accommodations

Reviews of SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Hongkou

• Mark from Hong Kong – 7 November 2024 (8/10)

  The room is quite big and the bathtub is very luxurious. The bed was comfortable and big.
  
  What could be improved: But the window was very dirty and could see a view.
  The locations is far away from the city centre. The staff was struggling with English.

• Mohammed from Sweden – 13 July 2024 (9/10)

  The room is really nice, clean and well organized. Metro station is around 15 minutes by foot and there’s a lot of stores nearby and restaurants

• Mohammed from Sweden – 13 July 2024 (9/10)

  The room is really nice, clean and well organized. Metro station is around 15 minutes by foot and there’s a lot of stores nearby and restaurants

• Sebastijan from United Kingdom – 27 May 2024 (9/10)

  The hotel has an amazing breakfast and offers nice views if you have a room on higher floors.
  
  What could be improved: Occasionally weird smell in the bathroom (probably due to smoking in other rooms)

• Lamartiny from Brazil – 1 May 2024 (9/10)

  The hotel facade is not good but when you get inside everything is nice, and the room is very special. Loved the coffee, mattress, soap and shampoo very top, and the blinds were efficient to block the sunlight.
  
  What could be improved: The breakfast could have more fruits, despite of having a lot of options and be rich.

• Huijing from United States – 9 April 2024 (9/10)

  It is nice place

• Jue from United States – 3 April 2024 (9/10)

  Huge room with a very comfortable bed. Heavy luxurious-feeling duvet / linen, fairly big windows for natural light. Breakfast had great variety, mostly Chinese breakfast items, but also some pastries. I liked that they had multiple brewed teas on offer (fruits come late though :(). There's even a sofa and bathtub next to the window, as depicted on the pictures. Going from Pudong international airport to the hotel by public transportation does take 1.5-2 h, but costs only 7 RMB (1 USD) and the bus will deliver you almost right in front of the hotel. Also, just a few minutes down the street from the hotel is a huge shopping mall complex – great for some shopping and food!
  
  What could be improved: Location: For where I was going, I had to most often walk to the Fudan University metro stop. That's about 20 min on foot (and the buses weren't coming frequently enough to make waiting worth it). | Room: An actual chair would be useful to work on a laptop. The room has a little bench with no back. | Service: This is a small detail, but I wished fruits would be available on time and for the duration of breakfast: for the first two mornings, it wasn't available for the first 25 min of breakfast (and then I had to leave), on my last morning, the fruit bowls were already removed 20 min before breakfast time was closing…

• Till from Germany – 24 March 2024 (8/10)

  – nice room
  – great breakfast
  – Clean
  
  What could be improved: – smoke smell
  – distance to Metro / City Center

• Anna from New Zealand – 11 March 2024 (9/10)

  Everything was high quality, from breakfast to bedding, room furnishings and amenities. Quiet, pleasant rooms.
  The complimentary supper from 2130-2230 only consists of leftovers from breakfast, but hey, it's free!
  The bucking horse in the hotel gym on level 5 was hilarious.
  The complimentary laundry and dryers were some of the nicest I've seen in a hotel.
  
  What could be improved: Unfortunately there was smoking on some of the floors, although thankfully no smell in the room itself.
  
  Note that the Google and Didi locations may not be accurate if self-navigating; we found that they gave us completely wrong directions. The best way to get there on foot is subway line 8 to Quyang Lu station, then walk 1.5km north on Quyang Lu. It is close to Bailian Quyang Shopping Mall, on the opposite side of the road. Reading the address numbers on the sides of the buildings helped us find it.

• Sabelo from Germany – 7 January 2024 (9/10)

  Nice Hotel with SE-Asian style. Good breakfast, friendly staff, overall very recomendable!
  
  What could be improved: A bit far from the closest subway station

Surroundings

Facilities