• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Credit Cards
    • Travel Rewards Credit Cards
    • Airline Credit Cards
    • Hotel Rewards Credit Cards
    • Business Credit Cards
    • Cash Back Credit Cards
    • Balance Transfer Credit Cards
    • No Annual Fee Credit Cards
  • Destinations
    • North America
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Central America
    • South America
  • About
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Work With Us
  • Resources
  • Traveling Well For Less
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Traveling Well For Less

How to travel for less. Tips and tricks to travel more, spend less, save money on travel

  • Star MegaDO 4 Review

    With bookings for the Star MegaDO 5 expected to open sometime soon, my Star MegaDO…

  • The intelliARMOR 4-port portable USB Charger is a smart little charger that packs a wallop without making a dent in your wallet. TravelingWellForLess.com
    IntelliARMOR 4-Port Portable USB Charger Review

    Smartphone, camera, portable phone charger, tablet, and more. What do all these have in common?…

  • Best Credit Cards for Road Trips

    Planning a road trip and want to maximize your travel rewards? What are the best…

  • Hotel Review: Hilton New York

    Hotel Review: Hilton New York This is the third post in the series titled BlogHer'12…

  • Star MegaDO 4 Review

    With bookings for the Star MegaDO 5 expected to open sometime soon, my Star MegaDO…

Home » Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review

Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review

August 29, 2013 By Debra Schroeder 2 Comments This post may contain affiliate links. Traveling Well For Less has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling Well For Less and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Read my disclosure and privacy policies.

6shares
  • Facebook 2
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review 23
Photo by: Mingtown Nanjing Youth Hostel

 

At Saturday’s San Diego Flyertalk dinner, nzpilot and I started talking about upcoming mileage runs to Shanghai. I mentioned I had stayed at a hostel on my last trip and would post a review.

In November 2011, I did two mileage runs to Shanghai, but to get the lowest airfare you had to stay 3 days.  Since my second mileage run was the week of Thanksgiving, hotel rates in downtown Shanghai started at $300 a night.

I wasn’t about to spend $600 on hotels when my airfare was only $700.  So I compromised and booked the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel for the first night and the Peninsula Shanghai for the second.   (More on the Peninsula Shanghai in the another post.)

Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel

I choose the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel because:

  • it was walking distance from the metro and the Bund
  • the price was amazing
  • I’ve never stayed in a hostel and wanted to see what all the fuss was about

In 2011, the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel had just opened and had yet to be reviewed. So I was more than a bit nervous about staying there.

Location:

The Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel is in a great location. You can easily walk from the East Nanjing Road metro station, and the Bund is a short walk away.

Airport Shuttle:

There is no airport shuttle but you can take the Maglev to the metro and then walk to the hostel.  This is the cheapest way if you’re traveling by yourself or if there’s just two of you.

For three or more people, it’s cheaper to take a cab from the airport.  But many cab drivers aren’t familiar with the location so it could cost you more if they take you the long way.

Accommodations:

For my first hostel experience, I opted for my own room vs a dorm room.

View from room at night Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
View at night

 

Not a lot to look at during the evening – or maybe because it was close to midnight when I arrived.

View during the early morning Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Early morning before traffic…

 

During the day the road gets busy but this was about 5am so no traffic yet.

The metro is about two blocks up the street.

Twin Private Ensuite Room Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Twin Private Ensuite Room at the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel

 

I booked a basic twin private ensuite for $100 CNY per person.

With a hostel, if a room accommodates more than 1 person, you have to pay for the number of people that can sleep in a room, even if you have less than the maximum number.

Since the room had 2 twins, I had to pay for 2 people, making my total $200 CNY total, or about $35.11.

Another View of Twin Private Ensuite Room Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Another view of the twin private ensuite room at the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel

 

Here’s another view of the room.

If you like a firm bed, you’ll love these beds.

Like most beds in China, (with the exception of US branded hotels) the mattresses are very firm.

I used the comforter from the second bed as a cushion so it was more comfortable.

But I could still feel that pea. (wink)

There’s not much to the room other than the beds, a small table and chair, hot water pot, lamp, mirror, hangers, and bathroom.

But sometimes that’s all you need.

The table is just large enough to work on.  The outlet was above the table (always a plus) vs hidden below as in some hotels/hostels/bed and breakfast establishments.

Desk Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Small table – suitcase not included 🙂

 

Closet area Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Mirror and hangers at the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel

 

There’s an open closet with a mirror, hanging hooks, hangers, and slippers.

Slippers For Him and Her Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Rubber slippers to use during your stay.

 

I enjoyed having the use of the slippers. I’m guessing red was for women and blue for men.

Heating and Air conditioning unit Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Heating and air conditioning unit in room

 

The heating and air conditioning unit worked great!  It can get really hot in Shanghai so having air conditioning is a must!

The only drawback was needing a chair to reach the unit, as it was practically ceiling level.

 

View of sink Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
View of bathroom and door

 

As with most hotels in Asia, you put your keycard in the slot to activate the electricity.

You can see the keycard slot on the wall adjacent to the bathroom.

Since the bathroom was tiny, this was the best shot I could get of the sink.

Bathroom sink Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
bathroom sink

 

The sink was normal sized, which given the size of the bathroom was pretty generous.

It was only about 5 inches deep, just deep enough to be able to wash a few things.

 

Toilet Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Toilet

 

The toilet was a bit narrow, but the height was perfect.

I hate hotels with low toilets – I don’t want to be forced to exercise and do squats to get on and off a toilet.

Shower Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel Review
Shower with dual shower heads

 

The shower was compact but more than spacious enough to turn around without knocking elbows on the glass.

Toiletries are not provided so you will need to bring your own.

A towel, wash cloth, and hand towel; there might have been two of each but it’s been almost two years since my stay so my memory is a little fuzzy on that point.

Check-in:

My flight arrived late and it was after 11pm when I arrived at the hotel.

Check-in was quick and easy. The front desk is on the ground floor in the same area as the “café” or dining area.

I wasn’t able to get any photos since every seat was occupied with everyone using the wifi.

The balance of my room was due – you pay a 10% deposit when you book a hostel and the balance at check-in.

A $100 cash deposit was also required, but was given back at check-out.

I was given my key and directed to my room on the 3rd floor (if I remember correctly….)

Amenities:

The hostel has wifi but since I got in late and left first thing in the morning (so I could get to Yu Yang Gardens before the crowds), I never tried it.

There’s also a kitchen, game room, and laundry.

Summary:

If you’re looking for a fancy room, this isn’t the place. But it’s a clean hostel in a great location, walking distance to metro and the Bund, and had working air conditioning and/or heat.  And for $35 a night for what I consider a hotel room, it’s one of the best deals in Shanghai.

I’d definitely stay at the Mingtown Nanjing Road Youth Hostel again.

This review is based on my experience on November 21, 2011.
Want to get more travel tips, learn how to travel for free, find out about travel deals, and maximize your miles and points? Sign up via the subscription links below. To receive post updates by email, please use the box below.

You can also follow me on Twitter or like me on Facebook.

 

6shares
  • Facebook 2
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard

Traveling Well For Less has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Traveling Well For Less and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.


Chase Sapphire Preferred

The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for beginning travel hackers. It is the first card you should get to start traveling for free because the welcome offer is 60,000 points (after spending $4,000 in the first three months).
 
My favorite perks about this card are earning 2X points on travel and dining, no foreign transaction fees, and transferring points to 13 airline and hotel partners like Hyatt, United, and Southwest.
 

Learn more about this card and how to apply



Chase Freedom Unlimited

The Chase Freedom Unlimited is one of my favorite cards for earning cash back card and travel rewards. It offers a welcome offer of $200 (after spending $500 in the first three months).
 
My favorite perks about this card are earning 5% cash back at grocery stores the first 12 months (up to $12k), unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases and no annual fee. When paired with cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can use your points to travel for free.
 

Learn more about this card and how to apply

Filed Under: BLOG, China, Hotel Reviews, Travel

About Debra Schroeder

Debra is a former 12-year travel industry executive and has traveled the world using airline miles and credit card points since 1994. She'll teach you the secrets of traveling well for less.

Previous Post: « Fort Lauderdale To San Juan For $89 Each Way
Next Post: Saturday Summary: 10,000 Alaska Miles, Double Starwood Points, and More »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. The below responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
  2. smitty06 says

    September 6, 2013 at 5:51 pm

    when are you mileage running to Shanghai? What kind of deal did you get?

    Reply
  3. Traveling Well For Less says

    September 6, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Hey Smitty06,

    I’ll send you an email with my dates. $766 LAX-ORD-PVG for 17,604 miles and a turnaround so no hotels needed this time.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Debra Schroeder is a travel writer with 26 years of experience using miles and points to travel the world. A former 12-year travel industry executive, she knows how to find the deals and how to creatively finance trips, like getting a trip to Hawaii for practically free or a $26,000 trip to Australia for $208. She’s always looking for the best deal, whether it’s a hostel, luxury resort, or somewhere in between.

Traveling Well For Less

Join 41,008 people who travel more & spend less

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The owner of this website is not a financial planner, investment advisor, legal or tax professional. All articles are based on opinion, have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities mentioned in the post, and should not be relied upon for your individual circumstances.

Recent Posts

  • Get a 30% Bonus on Hyatt Points
  • Earn Inexpensive Hyatt Stays With Hyatt Night In
  • Disneyland Cancels Annual Pass
  • Top 10 Places to Travel
  • ARIA Pool Tour
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2012 - 2020 , Traveling Well For Less. All rights reserved.