Where to Stay in Shanghai (2026): Neighborhoods That Fit Your Trip

Pick your Shanghai base by trip type: the Bund and People's Square put first-timers within walking distance of the icons; Jing'an offers polish, metro lines and brunch; the Wukang Lu side of Xuhui is plane trees and boutique quiet; Xintiandi is shopping and nightlife; Lujiazui and Qiantan in Pudong deliver the skyline itself. Budget beds start around 200 RMB, international five-stars commonly run 1,500 RMB and up. Where you sleep decides what Shanghai you meet. Stay by the river and the city is a postcard; stay under the plane trees and it is a series of cafes and slow evenings. I have hosted enough visitors to know the wrong base quietly taxes a whole trip with commutes, so here is the honest map. Which area should you pick first? If this is your first visit and you have three days or fewer, stay west of the river in Puxi, somewhere between the Bund and Jing'an Temple. Nearly everything a first-timer wants sits on that axis, and Metro Line 2 strings it together. Returning visitors and slow travelers should head straight for the low-rise streets of Xuhui. Arriving on the 240-hour transit policy? Your hotel handles the required registration automatically, one less thing per our…