Shanghai — Traveler Guide
Shanghai's skyline becomes your private stage at these rooftop hotels. Whether you're sipping cocktails as the sun sets, swimming in an infinity-edge pool above the cityscape, or dining under the stars, these properties deliver views that photographs simply can't capture.
Quick Answer
Shanghai's skyline becomes your private stage at these rooftop hotels. Whether you're sipping cocktails as the sun sets, swimming in an infinity-edge pool above the cityscape, or dining under the stars, these properties deliver views that photographs simply can't capture.
6 hotels reviewed · Price range: $$$, $$$$ · Last updated March 2026
About This Guide
The view from above changes everything. Shanghai's best rooftop hotels don't just offer a room with a view — they offer entire elevated experiences. Rooftop bars where the city's skyline becomes your backdrop, infinity pools that seem to merge with the horizon, and open-air restaurants where every table has a panorama. JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square boasts what many consider the finest rooftop panorama in Shanghai, with 360-degree views and a cocktail programme curated by an award-winning mixologist. Mandarin Oriental Pudong Shanghai features a stunning infinity pool that's become one of the most photographed hotel features in the city. We've evaluated not just the views but the complete rooftop experience — quality of food and drinks, atmosphere, seating comfort, and whether the space feels genuinely special or merely elevated.
Insider Tips
Time your rooftop visit for golden hour — typically 1-2 hours before sunset.
Make dinner reservations for rooftop restaurants well in advance, especially on weekends.
Pack a light layer — rooftop temperatures can drop significantly after sunset.
Request a west-facing room for in-room sunset views as well.
Our Picks
6 hotels · Updated February 2026
People's Square
The soaring Tomorrow Square tower puts guests in rooms starting at the 38th floor — wake-up views that take in Pudong, People's Park, and the full sweep of the city on a clear morning. Highly efficient, well-positioned for both the commercial centre and the old neighbourhoods, and a consistent favourite with business travellers who want genuine comfort.
Rising from the banks of the Huangpu, the Mandarin Oriental Pudong delivers unobstructed Bund panoramas that make it the obvious choice for guests who want to face the spectacle rather than be part of it. The Fifty-Eight bar on the 58th floor and the MO Bar are essential sundowner destinations for the city's most dramatic light show.
The Bund
Occupying the 1928 North China Daily News building at the northern tip of the Bund, The Peninsula Shanghai is the Bund hotel that generations of Shanghai romantics have dreamed about. Grand Art Deco rooms, a rooftop bar with the Pudong skyline as backdrop, and the finest afternoon tea in China make this the standard against which every other Bund hotel is measured.
The Bund
The 1910 Shanghai Club building is one of the Bund's most storied addresses — the legendary Long Bar, once the longest bar in Asia, still anchors the ground floor. Rooms in the heritage wing retain original marble fireplaces and ornate plasterwork, while the tower addition offers Huangpu River panoramas that confirm why the Bund remains Shanghai's defining spectacle.
Former French Concession
Piero Lissoni's design is all amber travertine, warm oak, and library walls of curated books — a hotel that feels genuinely residential on leafy Jinan Lu. The rooftop pool, the Grill restaurant, and the House Collective service philosophy create a stay that regulars return to more as a favourite home than a hotel.
Former French Concession
Thirty meticulously restored 1930s shikumen townhouses gathered around cobblestoned lanes in the Former French Concession. Each residence is an individual villa with private garden or terrace; Capella's service — butlers available around the clock, a private cinema, a tea house — wraps it all in unhurried elegance. The antithesis of the tower hotel.
Keep Exploring
Common Questions
Most rooftop bars and pools operate seasonally, typically from spring through autumn. Some hotels offer heated or enclosed rooftop spaces for year-round enjoyment.
Hotel guests typically receive priority access. During peak evenings and weekends, reservations are recommended even for hotel guests.
West-facing rooftops offer the most spectacular sunsets. Our top picks are noted in each hotel review — look for properties with unobstructed western panoramas.
More Destinations
Prices and availability change daily. Lock in the best rate by booking early — most of our top picks offer free cancellation.
View All Shanghai Hotels