Pre-Cruise Hotels · Shanghai
Twelve places to stay before a Shanghai cruise, scored on what gets you to the ship, not on reviews. Check your terminal first: four of these are within about 1.1 km of the North Bund, two are by Wusongkou, and we found no hotel ride to either.
Three taps and we’ll show your three picks.
Change any answer and the picks change with it. They’re built from the same published facts as the ranking below. No hotel pays for a place here. Booking.com links earn us a commission, and they don’t change the order.
Matching weighs your answers against each hotel’s published shuttle, parking, breakfast, pool, kitchen and pet policies.
Five answers, and the page builds the whole thing: the hotel, the ride in, the ride to the ship, what happens to the car, what time to leave, and how you get home. Every figure is one a brand site, the hotel, the city or the line publishes, or a straight-line distance between our own map pins. Where nobody publishes a number, you’ll see that instead of a guess.
There’s no cruise parking to price here, so the plan assumes you fly in.
Who’s coming and the mood come from Your Match; the plan uses the same answers.
Partner links may earn Seabound Journeys a commission at no extra cost to you. They don't change the plan, which is built only from what each company publishes.
The W wins on distance and the evening: about 400 m from the North Bund terminal, with two pools and a spa, per Marriott. Hyatt on the Bund ties it on points, with a pool, Miao Spa and a gym, and is second on distance. Holiday Inn Express on The Bund is third on its included breakfast.
Narrow the twelve by what your night needs. Save the ones you like. Tick up to three to compare side by side — the order is ours, the shortlist is yours.
Why twelve? Two terminals and two airports. Every scored fact is from a brand site or the hotel’s own; we didn’t need booking platforms. Where we couldn’t confirm a fact, it doesn’t score.
Add your sail date and the links open on the night before.
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change our rankings, which come only from what each hotel publishes. Affiliate disclosure.
All 12 hotels
The full-service pick on the North Bund: two pools, a spa and five bars and restaurants, about 400 m from the small-ship terminal.
A North Bund hotel with a pool, Miao Spa and a gym, about 800 m from the small-ship terminal.
Breakfast in the rate and the Bund 0.3 km away, about 1.6 km from the North Bund terminal.
The Wusongkou value pick: free breakfast and a 14:00 check-in, about 2.4 km from the big-ship terminal.
The south-Bund splurge, with Spago on the roof, a spa and an indoor pool, about 2.2 km from the North Bund terminal.
The full-service night by Wusongkou: an indoor pool, a spa and three restaurants, about 2 km from the big-ship terminal.
A south-Bund hotel with an infinity pool and a grill on the 30th floor, about 2.4 km from the North Bund terminal.
A Regent on Huangpu Road with an indoor pool, about 950 m from the North Bund terminal; IHG publishes little else.
The Bund splurge at No. 32, with Michelin-starred dining, about 1.1 km from the North Bund terminal.
The late-landing bed at Pudong: free breakfast and a free shuttle until 3:30 a.m., about 2.7 km from the terminals.
The Hongqiao airport hotel, with an indoor pool and a free Hongqiao shuttle, about 16 km from the North Bund terminal.
The walk-from-arrivals bed at Pudong, on a covered walkway to both terminals.
Booking.com lists airport taxis you can book ahead. Check the pickup point, the price and the cancellation terms before you book.
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Pick how you’re arriving. The board counts what each hotel publishes, the table lights up that column, and the cards below are the rides from the airport.
Holiday Inn Express Pudong Airport runs a free shuttle, and the Holiday Inn is on a covered walkway. The W (¥1,000) and Delta Baoshan (¥750) sell cars from Pudong at printed prices. Everyone else, take a taxi on the meter.
Shanghai Pudong International · roughly 20 miles (31 km) to the North Bund in a straight line; metered taxi or the Maglev
From the ranks at T1 Gate 12 and T2 Gate 25, per the city. A 30% night surcharge applies; every taxi takes cash.
Pudong to Longyang Road in under 8 minutes, then Metro Line 2, per the Pudong government’s 2017 guide.
About an hour from Pudong to People’s Square, per the city. Not built for cruise bags.
Driving? We couldn’t find published cruise parking at either Shanghai terminal, and no hotel here says it holds a car for a cruise.
| Hotel | To the ship | While you sail | From PVG |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Hotel car, ¥1,000 | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)No shuttle, but a hotel limousine at ¥1,000 one way or ¥1,800 round trip from Pudong, and ¥800 or ¥1,400 from Hongqiao, per Marriott. Book on +86 21-22869999. To the shipNo ride to the ship is listed, and you may not need one. The North Bund terminal is about 400 m from our pin. Marriott names the nearest subway as International Cruise Terminal Station on Line 12. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Not confirmed | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)We couldn’t confirm an airport transfer or its price from Hyatt’s pages. Ask the hotel, or take a taxi on the meter. To the shipNo ride to the ship is listed. The North Bund terminal is about 800 m from our pin, a walk or a short cab. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Not stated | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)IHG lists no airport shuttle and says there’s no complimentary local shuttle. Take a taxi from the rank, or the Maglev and Metro. To the shipNo ride to the ship; IHG says there’s no complimentary local shuttle. The North Bund terminal is about 1.6 km from our pin, so take a cab on the meter. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Not stated | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)IHG lists no airport shuttle. Hongqiao is about 42.9 km away by IHG’s figure; Pudong is farther. Take a taxi on the meter. To the shipNo ride to the ship; IHG lists no complimentary shuttle. Wusongkou is about 2.4 km from our pin in a straight line. We couldn’t find a published road distance, so take a taxi on the meter. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Private car, price on request | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)Marriott says there’s no shuttle, but private-car and limousine service can be arranged at the hotel, with no price published. Ask for a quote. To the shipNo ride to the ship; Marriott says there’s no shuttle, though a private car can be arranged at an unpublished price. The North Bund terminal is about 2.2 km from the hotel’s pin. Take a cab. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Hotel car, ¥750 from PVG | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)Marriott lists an airport shuttle by reservation: ¥750 one way from Pudong and ¥500 from Hongqiao. Book on +86 21-6077 1818. To the shipNo ride to the ship is listed. Marriott’s marketing calls the hotel “just minutes away from Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal”; that’s not a transfer, and our pins put it about 2 km. Take a taxi. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Paid shuttle, price on request | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)IHG lists a paid airport shuttle without a fee. Its “no complimentary local shuttle” line is about rides around town, not the airport. Ask the hotel for a quote. To the shipNo ride to the ship; IHG lists no complimentary local shuttle. The North Bund terminal is about 2.4 km from our pin. Take a cab. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Not confirmed | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)We couldn’t confirm an airport transfer or its price from IHG’s page. IHG puts Pudong about an hour away and Hongqiao about 40 minutes by car. To the shipNo ride to the ship is listed. The North Bund terminal is about 950 m from our pin, a walk or a short cab. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Not confirmed | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)We couldn’t confirm the hotel’s airport-car prices. Ask The Peninsula for a quote, or take a taxi on the meter. To the shipNo ride to the ship is on the pages we read. The North Bund terminal is about 1.1 km from our pin, across Suzhou Creek. A short cab with bags. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Free shuttle, 9:30–3:30 | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)A free shuttle to and from Pudong runs daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., per IHG. Pickup is opposite Gate 9 on the first floor of Terminal 1, or at Gate 27 on the first floor of Terminal 2. To the shipNo ride to the ship. The free shuttle is for the airport only, and IHG says there’s no complimentary local-area shuttle. Both terminals are a long taxi from here: about 29 km to the North Bund and 37 km to Wusongkou in a straight line by our pins. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Hongqiao shuttle only | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)Hilton lists a complimentary shuttle to Hongqiao airport and none to Pudong; we couldn’t confirm its timetable. If you land at Pudong, the Airport Link Line or a taxi crosses town; the city puts the link at about 40 minutes. To the shipNo ride to the ship. The North Bund terminal is about 16 km from our pin in a straight line, and Wusongkou about 27 km. Take a taxi. | |||
| Shuttle not stated | Cruise parking unconfirmed | Covered walkway | |
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)IHG says the hotel has covered walkway access to Terminals 1 and 2, and is within walking distance of Metro Line 2, the Maglev and the Airport Link Line. To the shipNo ride to the ship. Both terminals are a long taxi away: about 31 km to the North Bund and 39 km to Wusongkou in a straight line by our pins. Metro Line 2 is a walk away, per IHG. | |||
Every distance ends at our pin for the North Bund terminal, and every one is a straight line, not a route. The two Baoshan hotels are about 2 km from Wusongkou instead; they’re scored for that terminal.
Walking times assume an easy pace on streets about a third longer than the straight line. From the W, Hyatt and Regent you can walk; from the Bund on, take a taxi. The terminal pins are our estimates.
Five things make a Shanghai night before easy or hard, and the terminal decides most of them. Points come only from the hotel’s own site or its brand’s.
Silence scores zero, not a guess. Points come only from the hotel’s own site or its brand’s, and only for what it states outright. Where we couldn’t confirm a fact, nothing scores.
By band, from the North Bund terminal: within about 900 m, 30; the Bund and Hongkou to 3 km, 25; central Shanghai to 8 km, 20; out of town 15; by an airport 10. The two Baoshan hotels are scored 25, as about 2 km from Wusongkou, the big-ship terminal.
A transfer the hotel runs or arranges, with a published price, 25. A ride only inside a package 20. The hotel’s own ride with no published fare 15. A walk the hotel itself prints at half a mile or less 15. Nobody scores. We found no ride to either terminal published by any of our twelve; airport cars don’t count here.
A published rate to leave the car at the hotel while you cruise 20; offered, but unpriced or not guaranteed, 14. Day rates in a public garage don’t count. Nobody scores. No hotel says it holds a car for a cruise, and parking for your stay doesn’t count.
A breakfast the hotel says is included scores 10. Holiday Inn Express on The Bund, Baoyang and Pudong Airport say breakfast is included. The Hilton says it’s extra; elsewhere it isn’t stated.
Pool 3, food or a bar on site 3, a kitchen in the room 3, a sauna or spa 3, a gym 3. The W, Hyatt on the Bund, the St. Regis and Delta Baoshan score 12 of 15. The Peninsula and the Regent score 3 each: we couldn’t confirm the rest of their facilities.
Ties are broken in order: any published parking for your cruise, any stated ride to the ship, free breakfast, then the shorter straight-line distance to the North Bund terminal. The W and Hyatt on the Bund tie on 42, Holiday Inn Express on The Bund and Baoyang on 41, the St. Regis and Delta Baoshan on 37, and the Regent and The Peninsula on 28; the shorter distance to the North Bund breaks each tie.
What’s left out is deliberate. Room rates move by the day, so they aren’t scored, and review scores neither. Distances are straight lines between our own map pins, not routed walks or drives, and we say so wherever they appear.
No hotel in our twelve sells parking for a cruise, and we couldn’t find cruise parking at either terminal.
At the terminals. Nothing published that we could find, and our live port page doesn’t list any.
At the hotels. For your stay only: free at the W and Delta Baoshan, CNY 8 an hour to a CNY 64 daily maximum at Holiday Inn Express Baoyang, ¥60 a day at the Hilton by Hongqiao, ¥120 a day or ¥840 a week at the St. Regis. We found no hotel saying it covers a cruise. Almost everyone flies in.
We checked a few more and left them out:
| Hotel | Why it isn’t ranked |
|---|---|
| Sheraton Shanghai North Bund (Siping Road) | Marriott’s page said reservations aren’t yet available when we read it. |
| Mercure Shanghai Baoshan and Novotel Shanghai Baoshan Jiusi | Both are in western Baoshan by Accor’s coordinates, a long way from Wusongkou. |
Pudong is roughly 20 miles (31 km) from the North Bund terminal in a straight line, and about 25 miles (40 km) from Wusongkou. The taxi runs on the city’s meter; the Maglev is ¥50 to Longyang Road. Holiday Inn Express Pudong Airport runs a free shuttle; the W and Delta Baoshan sell cars.
Landing late? Sleep by the airport and move into town the next day. The Getting There table shows what every hotel publishes, and the airport page has the fares and the entry rules.
Tours, tickets and things to do are on Booking.com. Book the day before, not sail day.
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It doesn’t change what we recommend. Affiliate disclosure.
On our scoring, W Shanghai - The Bund: about 400 m from the North Bund terminal, with two pools, a spa and five places to eat or drink, per Marriott. Hyatt on the Bund ties it on points and is second on distance; Holiday Inn Express on The Bund is third.
Of our twelve, Delta Hotels Shanghai Baoshan, about 2 km by our pins, which Marriott calls “just minutes away,” and Holiday Inn Express Baoyang, about 2.4 km.
At the North Bund, yes: the W, Hyatt on the Bund and Regent on the Bund are all within about 950 m of our terminal pin. At Wusongkou, take a taxi.
Holiday Inn Express on The Bund, Holiday Inn Express Baoyang and Holiday Inn Express Pudong Airport, per IHG. Elsewhere it’s extra or not stated.
Holiday Inn Express Pudong Airport, whose free shuttle runs until 3:30 a.m., per IHG, or the Holiday Inn on the covered walkway.
We couldn’t find published cruise parking at either terminal, and no hotel here says it holds a car for a cruise.
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