General Information » Places To Stay » Guest Houses

There are several guesthouses and bed and breakfasts in Shanghai that provide a good-value alternative to hotels of a similar standard. Although some may provide broadband internet access, they are not as geared towards to business travellers as the larger hotels and generally do not have a hotel’s full range of facilities, such as well-equipped gym or swimming pool. Some may be a little worn around the edges but a homely atmosphere and plenty of historical charm tends to make up for this. There is no set rating system for B&Bs or guesthouses, so it is best to check out websites such as www.tripadvisor.com for independent reviews and listings.

Two particularly good B&Bs are The Old House Inn, a small, independently run place in a traditional lane house in Jing'an, with romantic rooms that are beautifully decorated with Ming dynasty-style furniture (6428 6118); and No.9, a five-bedroom B&B in a 1920s mansion in Luwan, decked out in a mixture of traditional, art deco and modernistic styles, and run by a Taiwanese wine-connoisseur/furniture designer/dinner party host called David Huang (6471 9950).