When The Shard first opened up in London in 2013, I wished to go to it. And when the Shangri-La model of luxurious motels opened a lodge inside The Shard in 2014, I knew I wished to remain there.
Now, I am on no account a luxurious traveler. Once I first began touring, I used to be very a lot a price range traveler, staying in hostels, Airbnb rooms, and low cost motels as a lot as potential. And despite the fact that my journey fashion has advanced as I’ve gotten older, I nonetheless wouldn’t contemplate myself a “luxurious” traveler.
Whereas I could also be keen to spend extra money on direct flights and nicer motels for each consolation and comfort lately, by no means have I spent greater than $1000 an evening on a lodge room – till I stayed at Shangri-La The Shard.
What’s The Shard?
The Shard is a contemporary skyscraper positioned on the southern finish of London Bridge within the Southwark a part of the South Financial institution. It is triangular in form, with an deliberately jagged-looking prime that appears like shards of glass. The 72-story skyscraper was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, and is at the moment the tallest constructing within the UK.
The Shangri-La lodge is only one of many issues calling The Shard residence. The constructing additionally has workplace house, just a few eating places (Aqua Shard is nice for a themed afternoon tea in London!), and an remark deck referred to as View From the Shard.
The Shard can also be near the Borough Market, and inside strolling distance of different well-known London websites like Tower Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe. So it actually does make a very good base in central London.
However is the lodge really price it?
My husband Elliot and I stayed on the Shangri-La The Shard for one night time, and here is what I believe.
Staying at Shangri-La The Shard
Rooms on the Shangri-La The Shard aren’t low cost. It is a 5-star luxurious lodge positioned inside one of the crucial recognizable buildings within the London skyline, in spite of everything. However is it price it for a splurge?
(And please notice, I used to be NOT hosted throughout this keep – I paid full-price for my room! I made a decision to write down about it for anybody else considering a particular keep right here.)
Room choices at Shangri-La The Shard
The Shangri-La The Shard provides 202 visitor rooms throughout 18 flooring of The Shard constructing (beginning on flooring 34 and going up by means of flooring 52). All of their rooms and suites have spectacular metropolis views by means of floor-to-ceiling home windows, and every room is barely totally different as a result of distinctive form of The Shard.
The varieties of rooms you’ll be able to select from embrace:
- Superior Shard Room – The smallest rooms obtainable (322-516 sq. toes), these rooms have floor-to-ceiling home windows that supply up southerly views away from the Thames. (Avg $1050 per night time)
- Premier Shard Room – Barely bigger (505-623 sq. toes), these rooms additionally supply largely southerly-facing views. (Avg $1175 per night time)
- Deluxe Metropolis View Room – What you commerce off for in house (these rooms are 344-505 sq. toes), you make up for with northerly and easterly views of London, together with a few of the metropolis’s most iconic landmarks. These are additionally the rooms that begin providing bathtubs within the loos. (Avg $1200 per night time)
- Premier Metropolis View Room – These rooms are 505-623 sq. toes, and supply northerly views of London and its iconic landmarks by means of floor-to-ceiling home windows. (Avg $1250 per night time)
- Iconic Metropolis View Room – These 462-645 sq. foot nook rooms supply 180-degree views by means of floor-to-ceiling home windows of London’s iconic websites just like the Homes of Parliament and Tower Bridge. (Avg $1575 per night time)
- Premier Shard Suite – These suites cowl 645-763 sq. toes, and supply a separate lounge. These suites have southerly views away from the Thames. (Avg $1900 per night time)
- Iconic Shard Suite – These giant suites (645-935 sq. toes) supply a separate sitting space, together with panoramic views of London’s most notable landmarks. (Avg $2400 per night time)
- There are extra suites obtainable, too, in addition to interconnecting room choices for households or teams touring collectively. (See all their room choices right here.)
The room you need at Shangri-La The Shard
If you are going to splurge on a room at The Shard, you are going to need a room that overlooks the Thames and a few of London’s iconic landmarks. You greatest worth for cash goes to be both a Deluxe Metropolis View Room or Premier Metropolis View Room, or the Iconic Metropolis View Room (which is a nook, Thames-facing room).
These rooms supply up the perfect views over central London, and the primary two are often underneath $1300 per night time.
You most likely need to keep away from any rooms that point out a southerly-facing view, because it means you may be trying away from the Thames and landmarks like St. Pauls, the Homes of Parliament, Tower Bridge, and so forth.
The Deluxe and Premier Metropolis View room varieties make up the majority of the rooms at The Shard, so for those who’re hoping for a bubble bathtub second with floor-to-ceiling home windows overlooking London landmarks, these are the rooms you need! (You can even name forward and attempt to request a bath with a view at The Shard; these will not be assured, however often they do a very good job attempting to accommodate requests.)
Learn evaluations on TripAdvisor | Guide a room right here
Room options at Shangri-La The Shard
Some issues you’ll be able to look forward to finding in each room embrace:
- The largest, custom-made King-sized beds I’ve ever seen in a lodge
- 300-threadcount Frette mattress linens
- Marble loos with walk-in rain showers (and a few rooms have separate bathtubs)
- Heated toilet flooring
- L’Occitane toiletries
- Plush bathrobes and slippers
- Pillow menu with hypoallergenic choices
- A pair of binoculars and skyline viewing information
- Excessive-speed wifi and LED TVs
- Nespresso espresso machine
- Tea-making services with porcelain Chinese language tea set
Our room additionally had an enormous walk-in his & hers closet space, and many sensible controls for issues just like the lights, black-out shades, and extra.
Examine in/out course of
You will arrive on the floor flooring of the Shard, the place there’s a big concierge-style desk. When you say you are checking in to the Shangri-La, they’re going to direct you to the elevators, and you will head as much as the thirty fourth flooring and test in identical to you’d at any lodge.
Examine-in is at 4 p.m., and check-out is at 11 a.m. Elliot and I arrived early off a global flight, and whereas our room wasn’t prepared but, they did direct us as much as the pool degree and stated we may clean up (even take showers if we wished to!), after which the concierge held our baggage till our room was prepared, after which moved the bags into our room for us.
Shangri-La service
The Shangri-La chain of motels usually oozes luxurious, and it is no totally different right here in London. Nothing is an excessive amount of to ask of the smartly-dressed employees.
For instance, once we arrived and knowledgeable the reception employees that the airline had misplaced Elliot’s bag, they supplied to ship issues like a toothbrush as much as our room, informed him he may borrow/lease swim trunks if we wished to make use of the pool, and even requested if they might make any calls to test on the standing of the misplaced bag whereas we had been out for the afternoon.
We additionally discovered a hand-written welcome notice on the window in our toilet once we bought as much as our room, and I had bubble bathtub delivered to our room inside 5 minutes of calling all the way down to ask for some.
Different companies obtainable embrace issues like:
- 24-hour Concierge service
- Butler service within the Suites
- IT Butler (I’ve no clue what that is, however I prefer it)
- Overseas change counter
- Home physician on name
- In-room spa companies
- Babysitting / baby care obtainable
- Taxi / limo service
Shangri-La The Shard pool
Elliot and I do not usually benefit from issues like spa companies or health facilities in motels, however a singular characteristic at this London lodge is the Sky Pool, which is marketed because the “highest lodge pool in Western Europe.”
An infinity-style pool up on the 52nd flooring of The Shard, the Sky Pool is unquestionably price visiting. It provides up unbelievable views out over London as you swim, and has some good seating areas, too. (It is also proper subsequent to the Sky Sauna, which has equally wonderful views.)
The Sky Pool, Sky Sauna (and lodge health club) are free for lodge friends, however you do should pre-book a time to make use of the pool and sauna since each are pretty small. We booked an early morning time slot once we checked in, and had the Sky Pool all to ourselves the next morning!
Eating at Shangri-La The Shard
Shangri-La The Shard has 1 restaurant and three totally different bars, and likewise provides 24-hour in-room eating.
The restaurant known as TING, and it is open for 3 meals a day on the thirty fifth flooring of The Shard. TING has an Asian-influenced menu, and likewise serves afternoon tea.
The bars obtainable are Bar 31 (an informal spot on the bottom flooring of The Shard), the Sky Lounge (on the thirty fourth flooring), and GŎNG (a cocktail bar on the 52nd flooring).
GONG is the best lodge bar in Western Europe, and has a pleasant cocktail menu alongside mild bites. However GONG is fairly expensive; for the standard seating, a minimal spend of £30 per particular person is required. In addition they supply a “Deluxe Window Expertise” with assured window seating, a bottle of champagne, and an Asian meals platter for £125 per particular person. (And also you need to guide forward right here.)
Elliot and I really did not eat/drink at any of the Shangri-La-affiliated spots (however we did do a Peter Pan-themed afternoon tea at Aqua Shard on the thirty first flooring of The Shard).
(NOT a part of the Shangri-La, however nonetheless in The Shard)
Is staying at Shangri-La The Shard in London price it?
And now you need to know whether or not this keep on the Shard lodge was price it. I get it; I wished to know, too, however may solely discover weblog posts written by individuals who had been gifted free stays!
And the reply in fact is… it relies upon!
The Shangri-La The Shard is a real luxurious lodge with rooms, facilities, and a degree of service that dwell as much as expectations. However $1200+ per night time just isn’t going to be “price it” for everybody.
Staying at Shangri-La The Shard IS price it for those who’re somebody who often stays at luxurious properties anyway, or somebody who’s keen to splurge on a very memorable keep for an important day.
Elliot and I fell into the second class – we do not often guide motels which can be this costly, however we had been making up for misplaced (journey) time as we stayed right here on our first worldwide journey in 2.5 years after. Plus, the actually particular touches just like the bubble bathtub with an unbeatable view and the Sky Pool made it price it for us.
(We solely stayed one night time, although, after which used Chase factors to pay for an additional lodge for the remainder of our 5 days in London.)
A keep at Shangri-La The Shard would NOT be price it for those who do not actually care about the place you sleep on trip, or for those who do not consider a lodge as being a journey “expertise” in and of itself.
If you happen to do not need to keep right here, that is superb! You may all the time nonetheless guide at desk at GONG, go to afternoon tea at Aqua Shard, or just pay to go to the View from the Shard remark deck to get mainly the identical view for lots much less cash.
And for those who do need to splash out and deal with your self to a keep at Shangri-La The Shard? Then go for it!
Learn evaluations on TripAdvisor | Guide a room right here
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