Shanghai Jianyeli Capella Hotel

Our stay last May was heavenly - it was what started our luxury hotel journey as the service we received was out of this world. From the porters who would run towards me after noticing me without an umbrella, to our housekeeping lady who took note of our minibar consumption patterns and gave more of our favourite drinks, to the breakfast receptionist who would take the stairs just so that she can wait for us again on the 2nd floor after receiving us on the ground floor, every single staff member went out of their way to pamper us. ||Since then we were on a quest to see whether there's any hotel out there that could top this, that is until we returned for the second time in May and realized a significant drop in service quality. While Capella Shanghai will continue to be one of my favorite hotels in the world, I would probably not make it a mission to stay here in the future. ||Our stay started on a strong note, after I emailed the reservations team to enquire the name of the housekeeping lady whom we met last year so we could bring a little gift for her. The Culturist, Amber, went out of her way and dug through old records to find the names of the housekeeping ladies and arranged for them to serve us again. ||The rest of the stay was just as magical, that is until lapses in service started to happen. There were a lot of new faces this time round, and it was rather evident that they did not possess the mentality of the staff whom we met last year. For example, we gave a box of cookies from Hong Kong to the front desk lady to be shared with the team. A few days later when we met her again, she did not seem to remember us and made no comments about the cookie. I did not want to sound like I was fishing for compliments so I did not ask her either, but it made us feel like our efforts were not appreciated. Similar things happened when I was checking out. I had to leave early for work and my partner checked out and left our luggage with the concierge. When I returned to retrieve the luggage after work, the front desk manager did not seem to recognize me as a hotel guest and did not ask about my stay. The concierge, after retrieving our luggage, also did not offer to help bring it outside. The porter was also just standing there after clearly noticing me with a big suitcase. Eventually the Didi driver helped to load it up. ||There were some highlights though, like the lovely breakfast ladies who insisted on feeding us and kept coming back with more goodies, and the kind housekeeping ladies, who upon receiving our gift, left a note for us and two plush toys. However, the main thing that set Capella apart from the other luxury hotels that we've stayed at was the flawless, textbook service execution. I know people say this all the time, but it truly felt like we were staying at a home away from home. Every single need that we could even possibly have, Capella anticipated it, which made this stay all the more disappointing. ||The funny thing was, I posted my thoughts on two separate social media platforms, and Capella read them both, but no service recovery or follow-up was made. They did not even apologize or at least acknowledge these service lapses. Granted the language I used was not as harsh as this review, but it nevertheless proved my point, that they simply just didn't care as much as before.

The service here is warm and considerate, with the staff going above and beyond to make you feel welcome and at home. They took special care to provide entertainment for our two boys, a value add that any parent should appreciate.||After an initial small issue with our room, the staff immediately addressed the issue and made things even better than they were before.||We enjoyed every moment of our stay, and would HIGHLY recommend this property to anyone wanting a wonderful Shanghai stay with a slice of a bygone era.

We stayed in the hotel, but this review is for the Chinese-style massage from Mr. Liu. It's probably too much of a hyperbole to say that it was life changing, but it was very very good. I've gotten a lot of massages in life - from deep tissue to Ayurvedic, and never have all my little pricks and pain been gone after an hour long massage. Until now. It's based on Chinese Traditional Medicine principles. The pressure wasn't strong, but somehow, it got all the knots out. Highly recommend.

Such a special property! We loved having our own villa which felt like a little home. We even had our own rooftop. The location is fantastic - amongst charming tree-lined streets and plenty of shops and restaurants. The trip went very smoothly and everyone working there was super helpful and kind. ||The prices felt very reasonable for such an upscale experience.

We had a marvelous time during our short stay - another Capella family moment embedded into our collective memory! Thank you to you and your team for your warm hospitality during this cold winter season. I thought I'd share a few highlights:||||You have such a wonderful team: everyone from the front office Culturalists to the sturdy doormen to your senior management team demonstrates a genuine dedication to hospitality and putting guests first. All of our requests have been met with obliging smiles - and delivered with great efficiency! We asked for a paper box to pack our excess shopping and it was delivered with packing tape; our breakfasts were sent with all of our special requests; and we were met by Thomas on our arrival and Jonathan on our departure (with gifts too!) - I felt like I was staying with a friend (who has a very elegant home!). ||||I really love your breakfast venue - while it does not have the usual breakfast buffet, the food was consistently of high quality and the team extremely polished and obliging (even when I turned up in my post-workout gear!). It’s a beautiful and tasteful parlour and the perfect place to start my day. Sadly we weren’t able to try the lunch or dinner service - but that is another reason to come back!||||Your Shikumen accommodations are such a unique offering. One cannot appreciate this until one has had the opportunity to experience it first hand. Having truly distinct spaces to dine, socialise, relax and sleep is a luxury that few hotels can offer - even in a suite. I am afraid you have spoilt us for life!||||Thank you once again for such a wonderful experience! We can’t wait to be back!

My husband and I started our honeymoon across China and SEA in Shanghai and we could not be more satisfied with this hotel. The room is an original shikumen villa, whose decor is just perfect and very chic (you can tell the furniture is high quality, as there are no signs of age nor marks despite the hotel has been running for over 7 years now). The staff has been very caring and dealt with the airport in order to get our lost luggage delivered to our room as soon as possible; they really made our stay smooth and cozy (they even prepared a special welcome to celebrate our honeymoon!). Breakfast a la carte is delicious, bed and pillows the most comfortable ever and cleanliness excellent. I loved all the tips that Thomas gave us to eat like a local (that’s what we wanted) and all the activities offered (although we didn’t have enough time to enjoy all of them). A big thank you to all the staff, we couldn’t wish for a better start of our honeymoon!

Outstanding hotel and 5 star service. Very enjoyable stay for my family and I. Old Shanghai charm. Highly recommend. Breakfast selection and food was also great.

Nothing short of wonderful. We will return!||||Remarkable 55 room hotel sweetly crafted & curated in a 1930 Shikumen building block, loving preserved. No real check in desk. They come to you.||||Jaya Ibrahim was the designer and if you are not familiar with his work, check him out.||Aman Resorts, The Puli-Shanghai to name a couple.||||Meals are presented in the Michelin Star Le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire.||||Each guest room block is 4 stories, about 12’ wide, preserving the original apartment units.||All the rooms face an exterior pathway lined on one side with your private walled garden, the other side is the back of another row of units used as a servant entry for room service, which is the original Shikumen organization.||||Enter through your private garden into a 14’ tall ceiling reception and small powder room.||A short flight of steps up to a TV room and minibar.||Up yet again an even shorter flight of steps (6) to the bedroom with exceptionally tall ceilings, sitting area and wardrobe.||Up another very short flight to the spacious bathroom.||And finally up a steep stair to your private roof deck.||I was a bit nervous buying into a townhouse configuration but it is really well done and not tiring at all for this arthritic fella. The only drawback is if you forget something in the bedroom when you leave for the day.||||The interior finishes are best described as a masterful blend of Asian and Western, which the Shikumens are. A modern interpretation of painted wood panel and raw silk panels, herringbone wood floors.||||The service is exceptional and it is what adds to the ambiance.