This is for Hong Kong, Ningbo and Shanghai.
Just took a short business trip to China.
I flew Cathay from NYC to HKG, business class was nice. Flight was great. Pleasant service and time went by quickly. No problems with long TSA lines...
I arrived in Hong Kong ever Shabbos and took a cab directly to the Intercontinental Stanford. It's about a 40 minutes drive with no traffic. Looking back, the W hotel may been a better option. It's really not too hard of a walk, it's hot in May but there is a nice breeze and it's easily walkable on Shabbos. The Hyatt regency refused to allow me to use the staircase, so I didn't stay there. The intercontinental has a free phone with Internet in every room. It's a great feature as you can take it everywhere in Hong Kong.
The walk to Chabad for Shabbos is 8-10 minutes, depending on how good you are with a map. Made lots of friends both Friday night and Shabbos by day. The food was great and the atmosphere was very warm. They recently expanded and the new place, it is really nice. The Rabbi and wife were really accommodating and they really welcome everyone.
Sunday I flew out to Hangzhou, I missed my first flight because of security, so I caught another one later that day. Hong Kong airways, was pretty good. Hangzhou is modern and beautiful. I had someone drive me down to the Park Hyatt Ningbo as I had a business meeting there. The PH is really incredible. Built on a lake the view is breathtaking and the rooms are large, modern and really comfortable. They have gorgeous grounds and it's a great vacations spot, sans food.
Monday evening I took the bullet train to Shanghai. Business class tickets are only a few dollars more than regular so I opted for that. It was awesome. It's like flying business class internationally with a fully lie-flat seat/bed. The train goes really fast and is precisely on time.
Shanghai is really a gorgeous city imho. The largest city in the world with skyscrapers and wide streets to boast of. There are some shady parts, which I avoided, so I can't vouch for that part of the city. Granted the city does not have a lot to do, it's nonetheless definitely with visiting.
I stayed for the first 2 nights at the Grand Hyatt. The hotel starts at the 54th floor, and the rooms are even higher. The views are spectacular, especially views of the bund. The interior is beautiful and there is live piano music almost every night. The rooms is really comfortable, unless you're scared of heights, as the windows are floor to ceiling. Lots of mirrors really have a strong affect on your vertigo. Takes a little while to get used to.
My last night at stayed at the park Hyatt. It's directly across the street. The rooms are larger, more modern and much higher. I didn't think it would make a difference, but the extra 20 flights really did. Their pool is really awesome, it's a gorgeous view, and has a nice lounging area. I wouldn't say it was any better stay than the grand, except for the pool and small amenities, if you're into that. It's a lot quieter. But it's definitely missing the flair that the grand has. Both of them have their servers in Hong Kong somehow, so Google and the likes are accessible in the hotels.
The area around the hotel is in the financial district, with access to a few large malls. To get anywhere else you'd need to take a cab or subway.
Chabad is around a 40 minute drive if your cab driver knows where he's going. I needed to make sure to always have directions in Chinese, as no one speaks English. If you don't have directions, you're up a creek. It takes a little while to find Chabad the first time, you need to use your brains, and have clear directions beforehand. Read their directions online.
The menu at Chabad is very large. They recently started offering steaks as well, it's a great selection. Their chef really make some really tasty food. Spring rolls, soups, salads and main were polished every night. Their Chinese is pretty authentic and the service was great.
The Rabbi and wife are really nice. They have a few kids and already opened 3 Chabad centers around town. Though only one of them has a restaurant. The community is pretty large, they have a school and minyan twice a day.
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