Staying in the former French Concession

The Concession is the part of Shanghai most visitors like best and it is the part I would put most people in. You get the plane trees, the small restaurants, the cafés, actual neighbourhood life, and you can reach the Bund in fifteen minutes.

It is not cheaper than the Bund area at the top end, but value is consistently better — you get more space, better food on the doorstep, and none of the tourist pricing.

The differences within it

South Shanxi Road and Shaanxi South Road put you in the middle of everything with easy lines to both the Bund and Jing’an.

Further west around Wukang and Anfu you are quieter and prettier but further from a metro — expect ten-minute walks to the nearest station, which is fine in April and unpleasant in July.

Food, which is the real argument

This area has the densest concentration of genuinely good eating in the city at ordinary prices, plus the best cafés and the most pleasant places to drink in the evening.

You can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner well within 400 metres for under ¥150 in total, which is impossible in the Bund area.

What to check before booking

Old lane houses converted to boutique hotels are atmospheric and sometimes poorly soundproofed. Ask whether windows are double-glazed and whether there is lift access.

Check walking distance to the metro rather than trusting "near X Road". Some listings are technically close and practically fifteen minutes away.

The downside

Not much in the way of skyline views, and the boutique-hotel sector here charges for atmosphere rather than square metres.