The hotel has a lot of history and is located in the former French concession area. The location is great if you want to avoid the mass tourist centers around the People's Square and Nanjin Road. It is nice to walk around in the neighborhood, which is very accessible to a range of restaurants and upscale shopping malls.
The hotel itself needs renovation. They have updated the elevator and the room key sends you directly to your floor, and the Japanese toilet is a big plus. However, the carpet needs to be swapped, the bed is not too comfortable, the sink is so low that I feel like I am breaking my back when I wash my face and I am only 5ft4. And the room is very small.
For an Expedia VIP, I received zero benefit. They gave two packets of powdered cafe per day. It has been a long time since I stayed in a hotel without a simple coffee maker.