Curated hotels and co-living spaces for international founders, digital nomads, and builders. Exclusive rates. English support. May 2026 season.
All hotels are in the Minhang/Hongqiao area, minutes from the National Exhibition and Convention Center. Mention KEYS or muShanghai when booking for your exclusive rate.
Not just passing through? Our co-living spaces are built for founders who want to work and live in China. Flexible pricing: nightly, monthly, or yearly.
We pre-negotiated exclusive rates with every hotel. You book directly and get the discount.
Browse our curated selection above. Check availability on Trip.com or contact the hotel directly via email or WeChat.
When you contact the hotel or book through their direct channel, mention "KEYS" or "muShanghai" to unlock your exclusive rate.
Show up. Your rate is confirmed. Need help communicating in Chinese? We handle the translation for you.
The number one question every foreigner has. Here's the honest answer: it's gotten much easier, but you need to set up before you arrive.
All our partner hotels accept international credit cards. No setup needed. Just tap or swipe. This is the easiest option for accommodation.
Some smaller restaurants and shops still don't accept foreign cards.
Download Alipay, link your foreign credit card, activate "Tour Pass." Takes 10 minutes. Works at 99% of places in China. QR code payments everywhere.
You'll need your passport to verify. Do this before you fly.
WeChat Pay now accepts foreign cards too. If you already use WeChat (you should), enable the payment feature. Same QR code system as Alipay.
WeChat is essential for communication in China anyway. Download it now.
ATMs at the airport dispense RMB. Keep some cash as backup, but honestly you'll barely use it. China is 95% cashless. Most taxi drivers don't carry change.
Exchange rate tip: withdraw from ATM, don't exchange at airport counters.
Full guide with step-by-step Alipay setup, WeChat Pay, and common pitfalls:
Read the Full Payment Guide on First ForeignerAll partner hotels are clustered around the Hongqiao Transportation Hub and National Exhibition Center. Here's why that matters.
National Exhibition and Convention Center, venue for major tech expos and muShanghai events.
High-speed rail to Suzhou (25 min), Hangzhou (45 min), Nanjing (65 min). Day trips, easy.
Domestic flights + select international routes. 5 minutes from all partner hotels.
Lines 2, 10, 17 connect Hongqiao to the Bund, Jing'an, Pudong, and everywhere else in 30-40 min.
KEYS is your complete landing pad in China. Hotels are just the beginning.
Co-work and co-live spaces from 799 RMB/month. Dezeen award-winning architecture.
Explore Spaces →Navigate 30+ government programs across 8 cities. Grants, tax breaks, talent visas.
Find Programs →Join curated delegations to CES, Boao Forum, APEC, and Osaka Expo. VIP access.
Coming soonQuestions about hotels, spaces, visa, or how anything works in China? Talk to Lin Lu directly. He's been helping international founders land in China since 2014.
Built China's Airbnb (Chao Suo), raised 30M RMB, deployed AI across 2,200+ properties. Now building KEYS to make China accessible for international founders. He speaks English, Mandarin, and gets things done.
Exclusive rates for the muShanghai community. Questions? We speak English, Chinese, and WeChat.