Shanghai City Central International Youth Hostel: Review and Directions

After sleeping in a non-mattressed dorm room, this place was the Hilton to me. It wasn’t quite the best hostel ever, but it’s up there. The main drawback to the Shanghai City Central is that it is NOT in the center of the city. It’s located quite north of Shanghai. However, if you have an affinity for local noodle shops and taking the metro everywhere, then this is the place for you. I had planned on only staying a couple of nights and then moving closer into the city, but the metro was so convenient that I ended up staying here for my entire trip. There was quite a mix of people at the hostel. In addition to the usual backpackers, there were families, people working temporarily in the city, and guests staying here for several weeks.  Because of its non0central location, the hostel knows that it has to compensate in other ways. Therefore amenities are abundant. A free breakfast buffet (soup, dumplings, toast w/jam and cereal) from 7:30 – 9:30 is included. A fancier breakfast is available for a little extra. Food and drinks are available for purchase during breakfast hours and again from 7pm until 2:30 at night. The place has a pretty good vibe at night with a pool table, televisions, music, and low strobe lights completing the ambiance. A variety of drinks are available. I had a couple Tequila Sunrises for 20 yuan each.Other amenities include computers which are available for a 10 yuan per 15 minute interval. Free and reliable WiFi is available downstairs. The hostel also has laundry facilities. You can do your own laundry (10 yuan for use of the washing machine, about 5 yuan for the dryer – which will take about three hours) or drop it off at the front desk for a fee of 15 yuan per kilo of laundry. A pretty good library and a ping-pong table on the front deck round out the lobby.Room options are plentiful. A family suite goes for 460 yuan. You can also rent a double, single, or dorm style room for 250, 150, and 70, respectively. A female only dorm can be requested for no additional charge. Consistently clean bathrooms and showers are shared at the end of each hallway. When checking in, be prepared to put down a 100 yuan deposit for your room key. This hotel is also one of the few places in Shanghai with an elevator and a ramp to get into the hotel. Because of the step down to the dining room and the lip on the showers, I’m not going to go on record saying this hostel is completely accessible, but a few guests here had mobility issues, so I’m guessing it’s one of the better options in Shanghai for the disabled.  The directions on the hostel’s website suck, so here you go:From the train station or the airport take metro line 3 or 4 to Caoyang Road. Once disembarking your subway, exit Caoyang Station at exit #6, near the McDonalds (don’t follow the crowd to metro line 11). Turn right out of the metro station, heading east on Kaizuan road (not like there will be a sign). You will be walking under the metro tracks. If you hit Caoyang road, you’re going the wrong direction – turn around. After about a five minute walk, you’ll hit Wuning road (the first cross street you come to). Cross the street and turn right (heading south on Wunin road). You’ll pass about three storefronts before seeing this façade:Turn left into the neighborhood and you’ll see the hostel on your right in about 100m. The address is 300 Wuning Road.