What are the check-in time and deposit amount at the Grand Central Hotel Shanghai?

Check-in is available from 2:00 PM, and check-out is until 12:00 PM (noon). A deposit of 500 CNY (equivalent to ~$70) is required upon check-in.

What are the breakfast hours and where is the restaurant located at the Grand Central Hotel Shanghai?

Breakfast is served from 6:30 AM to 10:30 AM. The restaurant is located right in front of you as you enter through the hotel's main entrance.

How can I save my seat when going to get food at the breakfast restaurant in the Grand Central Hotel Shanghai?

You can leave the red sign provided on the table to indicate that the table is in use. Conversely, a green sign means the seat is available.

Are there any made-to-order dishes on the breakfast menu at the Grand Central Hotel Shanghai?

Yes, they serve freshly made beef ramen with hand-pulled noodles. The taste is quite standard, but you can enjoy watching the cooking performance right in front of you.

Grand Central Hotel Shanghai Review 2026: Best Location

Shanghai Travel Guide

An Unbeatable Location You'll Want to Book Again

Grand Central Hotel Shanghai

Hey fellow travelers! It's your favorite travel guide, Ciel!

Today, I'm sharing an honest review of the breakfast buffet at the "Grand Central Hotel Shanghai," a highly popular choice for travelers due to its fantastic, central location.

Grand Central Hotel Shanghai Quick Facts

Check-in 2:00 PM~

Check-out ~12:00 PM

Tel. +86 21 5353 8888

Languages Spoken: Mandarin, English, Japanese

Breakfast Hours: 06:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Misc: Security Deposit required ⭕️ (500 CNY - approx. ~$70)

Amenities:

24-Hour Front Desk

Luggage Storage

Indoor Swimming Pool

Luxury Spa

Room Tour & Review

Grand Central Hotel Shanghai: Location & Booking Discounts Guide

🥟 Grand Central Hotel Shanghai Breakfast Buffet

Highly recommended for:

✔︎ Travelers who love a hearty, energizing meal to start their day.

✔︎ Anyone who wants to skip the hassle of searching for morning food outside.

The Dining Room

The breakfast buffet is located right in front of the main lobby entrance. It runs daily from 06:30 AM to 10:30 AM.

Honest Breakfast Review

When you arrive, the host will guide you to your table, which comes pre-set like this.

If you need to leave your table to grab food, make sure to flip the table card to the red side, which indicates "In Use."

The green side means the table is vacant and available for others! ‼️

I had high expectations because of the great reviews, and compared to the Shanghai Joyful Yard Hotel I stayed at the night before, this place definitely felt much more upscale.

The bakery selection was quite impressive with lots of variety.

They also offered a generous amount of hot breakfast dishes.

I really appreciated how quickly the staff replenished the popular dishes as soon as they ran low.

It was also nice that they had pre-made fried eggs ready to grab without having to wait in line.

Since we are in China, you can expect a decent selection of dim sum and steamed buns, which I personally loved. ❤️

I normally wouldn't pay to try this, but out of pure curiosity, I grabbed a "pidan" (century egg). I had heard rumors that it smells like ammonia, but I didn't smell anything at all. However, the texture was like chewing a flavorless rubber ball, so I was satisfied just having tried it once.

✨️The Highlight✨️

In my opinion, the absolute highlight of the Grand Central Hotel Shanghai breakfast is the live station where they make fresh, hand-pulled beef ramen right in front of you.

Here is what the final bowl looks like. Honestly, it wasn't the most mind-blowing ramen, but it tasted decent and the performance of stretching the dough was fun to watch.

Aside from that, they had standard options like cereal to fill up on,

a strawberry yogurt that required extreme focus to actually taste any strawberry flavor,

and some surprisingly sweet and fresh fruits.

They also had a wide variety of drinks, which made it easy to find something to wash it all down.

I ended up eating just a moderate amount. Honestly, there wasn't anything that completely blew me away.

Book Grand Central Hotel Shanghai

To be fair, the price difference across these booking engines isn't massive. Unless you have specific credit card perks or loyalty points with one platform, the best strategy is to compare and book where it's cheapest so you can save some cash for local street food!

Check out the exclusive discount coupons below and compare the rates before booking.

▼▼▼▼▼▼ July Promo Coupons ▼▼▼▼▼▼

Trip.com Discount

Coupon Booking & Stay Period

06/01/2026~08/09/2026

Yeogi Eottae July Discount Coupon
Coupon Booking & Stay Period	07/01/2026~07/31/2026
International Bookings over ~$64	4% Discount (Max ~$13)

‼️ Offers are subject to change and may end early if budgets run out! ‼️

✔︎ Final Thoughts on Grand Central Hotel Shanghai Breakfast

While the main breakfast hall is beautiful, they initially guided me to a secluded corner where the smell of cigarette smoke was incredibly strong. I usually don't make a fuss, but the smoke was unbearable.

I immediately requested a seat change and was moved to the main lobby area near the buffet, which was much more pleasant. If you get seated in a weird or smelly spot, don't hesitate to ask for a change right away so you can enjoy your morning meal in comfort!

Cielso