Youli Hotel (Shanghai People’s Square) stands at 41–47 Yunnan Middle Road in the Huangpu district, a six-minute walk from People’s Square metro. It is a small hotel of seventy-three rooms whose decor guests compare to a film: elegant design creates frames you want to keep as a memento. The rooms are compact, from fifteen to twenty-five metres, with a double, queen-size or two single beds. Downstairs by the lobby there is a small laundry, and at check-out you can leave luggage at the desk free of charge. Wi-Fi in the rooms is fast, and the staff help with check-in and check-out. The hotel is chosen by those who want to live beautifully and inexpensively in the very centre and walk to Nanjing Road and the Bund. The hotel is a few steps from the metro, and you can get to the station or the airport without a taxi. For a business trip and a quick weekend break it is a practical choice.

Yunnan Middle Road: between People’s Square and Nanjing Road

Yunnan Middle Road runs through the very centre of Shanghai, just a few blocks from Nanjing Road. From here you can walk to the pedestrian street, the Bund and Yu Garden. The area is full of old houses and street-food stalls, and in the evening there are many people. People’s Square metro connects the hotel with the station, Pudong and the airports. Nearby are Xintiandi, Huaihai Road and Joy City. People’s Square is not only a transport hub: here are the Shanghai Museum, the opera house and a park with a large pond, and at weekends in its alleys the parents of would-be grooms and brides look for matches, hanging up notices on umbrellas. It is a sight you need to see at least once. The Bund embankment is reflected in the Huangpu River in the evening, and across it you can see the lights of Pudong.

  • Nanjing Road — a pedestrian shopping street.
  • The Bund — an embankment with a view of Pudong.
  • Yu Garden — a classical garden.
  • Huaihai Road — boutiques and cafés.

Tip for travellers: Central Shanghai can be crowded, especially on holidays. It is better to stroll along Nanjing Road in the morning or late in the evening. For trips to the Bund the metro is enough, but in the evening it is more pleasant to walk.

Compact service and free left luggage

The service is simple and neat. There is a lift, a non-smoking floor, a water purification system, ventilation, a garment steamer, dry-cleaning and ironing services, and an interpreter. A small laundry is on the ground floor near the lobby. Free luggage storage at check-out is handy if your flight or train is in the evening. The lobby is small but thoughtful: from any point you can photograph the interior like a frame from an old film. The staff suggest how to get around by metro and help call a taxi. The corridors are quiet, and the soundproofing at the windows copes with street noise.

  • A lift and a non-smoking floor
  • A small laundry
  • Free left luggage
  • A water purifier and steamer
  • Fast Wi-Fi

Rooms

Types: boutique rooms with a double bed, deluxe with a queen-size bed, twin rooms and cosy rooms for two. Areas from fifteen to twenty-five metres.

Who it suits

Couples and solo travellers for whom location and design matter.

Rooms

The hotel offers the following room categories:

  • Boutique double room — 15–18 m², 1 double bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.
  • Preferred Double Bed Room (Mobile Screen Casting + Smart Toilet) — 15–20 m², 1 double bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.
  • Boutique room with 2 beds — 18–25 m², 2 single beds. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.
  • Deluxe Queen Room — 18–23 m², 1 queen bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.
  • A cozy room with two beds — 20–25 m², 2 single beds. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.
  • Family Room with Benefits — 23–28 m², 1 double bed and 1 queen bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.
  • Cozy family room — 25–30 m², 1 queen bed and 1 double bed. In the room: shower gel, hair conditioner, shower cap, bottled water, electric kettle, private bathroom, hair dryer.

Where to eat

The hotel has no restaurant, so you will have to look for breakfast nearby. In neighbouring cafés and shops they sell filled buns, soy milk and noodles. Chain coffee shops operate nearby.

In the evening go out to Nanjing Road: xiaolongbao, Shanghai chicken noodles and fried shengjian buns can be found at every step. If you want something sweet, drop into the pastry shops of Nanjing Road: they sell mini cakes and ginger candies, and for takeaway there are queues for fresh meat buns.

Pros and cons of Youli Hotel

What the hotel is valued for

  • Six minutes’ walk to People’s Square metro.
  • Designer decor.
  • Free left luggage.
  • Fast Wi-Fi.
  • Nanjing Road and the Bund on foot.

What to know in advance

  • The rooms are small.
  • No restaurant.
  • The centre is noisy and crowded.
  • The laundry is small.

What guests write

Guests praise the design, the fast Wi-Fi, polite staff and the location. They note the convenient left-luggage service.

How to book Youli Hotel Shanghai

Choose dates in the “Where to book” block and compare room types. The details of payment are visible at the last step.