This article is part of "Sleepover", a SmartShanghai column where we send a writer out to stay overnight at a hotel
or hostel to relate their experiences therein.
More of Sleepover here »
More of Sleepover here »
[Sleepover] Cheap Sleeps
Affordable accomodations options in Shanghai - By Melanie McGanney, Mar 25, 08
No one thinks of Shanghai as a backpacker's paradise, but whether you're just passing through, in need of a semi-permanent residence, or need to put visiting guests up, there are a number of affordable pillows to rest your noggin and some of them are actually quite nice. Listed below are reasonably priced lodgings located near or on the Bund, in the less hectic Jing'An area and as far west as Hongqiao.
Captain Hostel (The Bund)
A Shanghai institution, the Captain Hostel offers some serious bang for your Bund. This ship-themed residence, be-speckled with buoys and portholes, is mildly gimmicky but unusually clean for a hostel. At the bottom rung are the Sailor Bunks, which house up to eight seafarers on four bunk beds for a mere 70rmb a night. If you choose these bunks be prepared to share the (clean) bathroom facilities with your shipmates on the entire floor. The Bunks themselves sparkle with maritime spotlessness, and are accessorized with glass-topped card tables with sand and rocks inside. First class cabins on the top floor have a great view and private bathroom but are otherwise Spartan and cost a whopping 1,200rmb. Also housed in the building is the rooftop Sunshine Bar, perhaps the least expensive watering hole on the Bund, and a Shanghai hidden gem. Drinks are about half the standard price and come with an outdoor deck facing the Pudong skyscrapers for that wind-blown nautical feel. The lobby also has a breakfast room and business center where an hour of Internet cost 20rmb.
Motel 168 (Hongqiao)
Although there are many locations around town (and a slew of Motel 268s as well), the Wuzhong Lu location of Motel 168 is near the Hongqiao airport. Originally named for the low price of its standard rooms, Motel 168 has raised rock bottom just a bit in recent times to 188rmb. For standard rooms you have a choice of a big bed that leaves no room for walking, or two twins (the better choice). Bathrooms are clean and the rooms are clean enough although all smell like an ashtray. The lobby offers a few vending machines as well as a Chinese restaurant, the Merrylin Cafeteria, which boasts beachside d
Captain Hostel (The Bund)
A Shanghai institution, the Captain Hostel offers some serious bang for your Bund. This ship-themed residence, be-speckled with buoys and portholes, is mildly gimmicky but unusually clean for a hostel. At the bottom rung are the Sailor Bunks, which house up to eight seafarers on four bunk beds for a mere 70rmb a night. If you choose these bunks be prepared to share the (clean) bathroom facilities with your shipmates on the entire floor. The Bunks themselves sparkle with maritime spotlessness, and are accessorized with glass-topped card tables with sand and rocks inside. First class cabins on the top floor have a great view and private bathroom but are otherwise Spartan and cost a whopping 1,200rmb. Also housed in the building is the rooftop Sunshine Bar, perhaps the least expensive watering hole on the Bund, and a Shanghai hidden gem. Drinks are about half the standard price and come with an outdoor deck facing the Pudong skyscrapers for that wind-blown nautical feel. The lobby also has a breakfast room and business center where an hour of Internet cost 20rmb.
Motel 168 (Hongqiao)
Although there are many locations around town (and a slew of Motel 268s as well), the Wuzhong Lu location of Motel 168 is near the Hongqiao airport. Originally named for the low price of its standard rooms, Motel 168 has raised rock bottom just a bit in recent times to 188rmb. For standard rooms you have a choice of a big bed that leaves no room for walking, or two twins (the better choice). Bathrooms are clean and the rooms are clean enough although all smell like an ashtray. The lobby offers a few vending machines as well as a Chinese restaurant, the Merrylin Cafeteria, which boasts beachside d
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