W Shanghai - The Bund

View: The hotel offers stunning views of The Bund and Shanghai's skyline, which guests repeatedly praise. Rooms with river views and high-floor placements enhance the experience, making the vistas a memorable aspect of the stay.(based on 617 reviews)

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding my recent stay at your hotel. The room I received was completely inconsistent with the photos and description shown during my online booking. I specifically booked a red-themed twin room with a central Bund view, and I even informed the hotel in advance that I preferred a high floor. However, upon arrival, I was assigned a room on the 8th floor, with a yellow-themed design and an edge-side view. From this room, two-thirds of the view was blocked by buildings, and only a small portion of the river could be seen — and even that was only visible when standing close to the window. The Oriental Pearl Tower view was almost entirely hidden. When I raised this issue with the staff, they denied any discrepancy and claimed that the only twin rooms available were in the yellow design, which clearly contradicts the photos shown during booking. I paid extra to upgrade to a Bund view, and it is unacceptable that I was initially placed in a room with such a limited and obstructed view. Only after I became very firm with my complaint did the staff agree to change my room to a double room with the proper central Bund view. This entire process wasted over one hour of my time, involved unnecessary waiting, and demonstrated poor service handling, especially for a hotel that claims to be five-star.