Piao Ying

We are presently staying at the Piao Yiang Hotel in Shanghai, at a cost of abour $40 a night. We are on a business trip, and the company we visited is located in the same building. We have a room with a queen size bed, wonderful heating, pleasant decor, and a modified minibar with tea and fridge. The bathroom is decently decorated, with a large shower and marble sink area. There is a large closet with some hangers and shelves. A large television, but hardly anything to watch in English. I did note there is a restaurant and salon on the fourth floor, but the salon does hair only. No manicures. The staff at the reception desk are very nice, and clearly took good care to ensure our rooms were stocked with tissues and bathroom paper, the wire for internet, and brought us a new remote when the one we had did not work. While it is true that the area around the hotel is not as beautiful as other areas, we had a great time meeting people at the stores and at the food kitchens. I found the people pleasant and accommodating. We found good deals in some clothing and a pair of slippers, in this area. Our friend from Shanghai was telling us that the property where these old houses and businesses are located, are still there because the property is too expensive to build new buildings on.Still, travel is not always about perfection, and we enjoyed our time around the neighborhood. The front of the hotel is also a great place to catch cabs. As I am writing this, I hear below our room someone singing. This is not too uncommon, as we noticed a place right outside the hotel where novice singers come and sing. Where they sing is in an open area, maybe in the same block as the grocery store. The grocery store is called Lotus, and has everything you could possibly need. We went in and purchased oranges, breat, cheese, and some hair shampoo and conditioner. The price was reasonable. They sell everything including electronics, alcohol, bedding, diapers. Similar to Carrfour or Lulus.