I recently had the pleasure of staying in the Shangri-La At The Shard in London, and it goes without saying it was spectacular.
This post is about my experience and I’ll be sharing pictures of the different facilities and rooms in the hotel, including the very impressive Shangri-La Suite.
Towards the end of the post you can read about some of the attractions and landmarks near the hotel.
Disclosure: My stay at Shangri-La At The Shard was complimentary. However words and opinions about the hotel are my own. Some of the features and details mentioned below may have changed since my visit.
Location of Shangri-La at the Shard
The Shangri-La at the Shard is perfectly located in central London above London Bridge station. This provides you with easy access to the subway to reach other parts of London, the national rail to get from the airport, as well as walking distance to Tower Bridge, Borough Market, Tate Modern and the River Thames.
Ting Restaurant
I started my Shangri-La experience by enjoying a delicious three-course meal at Ting Restaurant located on the 35th floor. From the restaurant you can get views north towards the City of London, east towards Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf, or south towards Southwark.
The food at Ting Restaurant was beautifully presented and tasted delicious. Here you can see some of the plates me and my host enjoyed.
Tour of the Shangri-La At The Shard
After dinner my host took me on a tour of the Shangri-La, showing me some of the rooms and facilities the hotel offered.
The hotel has 202 guest rooms and suites all fitted with a beautiful, elegant and luxurious design. On walking into my room (Seen a bit further below) I was immediately struck by how much detail the Shangri-La goes into, to ensure not a single detail is missed. This helps guarantee guests have the most comfortable and luxurious experience possible.
I haven’t gone into detail about every feature provided, but you will find a link at the end allowing you to find out more.
Premier Shard Suite
The Premier Shard Suite provides a large amount of space including a separate bedroom and living room. The room I saw also had a large bathroom and bathtub with a view of the city.
Shangri-La Suite
The Shangri-La Suite is the top room in the hotel and provides an impressive 232 square metres of space. It comes with a huge dining and living room, as well as a fully equipped kitchen. There is one very big bedroom with en-suite in the main suite, but an adjoining room can also be hired, providing a second bedroom.
Gym and sky pool
On the 52nd floor of the hotel you will find the gym and sky pool, allowing you to workout (or relax) whilst gazing out at the city far below.
From the pool, you’ll be able to see many of London’s main landmarks such as Westminster, The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral and much more.
From the gym there is a view south of the city. The gym comes equipped with running, cycling and other training machines, free weights and exercise benches. There are also towels and water bottles provided.
GŎNG sky bar
Also on the 52nd floor you will find GŎNG, which is the highest Cocktail and Champagne Bar in London. Here you can enjoy some signature drinks whilst enjoying the impressive views.
My room
During my stay at the Shangri-La At The Shard I stayed in the Deluxe City Room. This room provided me with views north across the River Thames, and a few of the things I could see included Tower Bridge, The Walkie Talkie (20 Fenchurch), HMS Belfast and The Tower of London.
Here are images showing some of the features of the room, as well as the views.
Bathroom
I was very impressed with the bathroom. It had everything you would need, including salts to add to the extremely scenic bath space, a heated toilet seat, a television built into the mirror, a separate shower, cotton pads for removing makeup and much more.
Little extras
The Views
Here are some views I got to enjoy.
There are blinds on the windows you can close, but I left them open and woke up to these incredible colours at sunrise.
Video
This video shows a walkthrough of my room. The video was taken in portrait mode on my phone hence why it is narrow.
Things to Do Near the Hotel
There are lots of landmarks and things to see within walking distance to the Shangri-La Hotel. These include Tower Bridge (5 minutes walk), The Tower of London (10 mins), Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral (15-20 minutes walk along the river).
For food you could head to Borough Market (5 minutes walk) where you will find a wide selection of tasty dishes, as well as fruit and vegetables and gourmet food. Alternatively, there are plenty of restaurants nearby and also along the river. That’s of course if you don’t choose to eat in the hotel.
Conclusion
This was my first stay at the Shangri-La At The Shard. The hotel is so comfortable and well equipped it may make you feel like you don’t want to leave. An interesting fact my host told me, was that the hotel is home to 6-9 marriage proposals a week, this doesn’t surprise me at all.
Have you stayed at the Shangri-La in London, and if so what did you think? Please leave a comment below…
For rates and more information about the hotel visit their website at www.shangri-la.com/london/shangrila/.
Or if you prefer then also have a look on booking.com.