Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard London – The Review

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Sleeping at the highest level takes on a whole new dimension at the 5-star Shangri-La Hotel London at the Shard – if you want to sleep with this absolutely gigantic view.

I feel free and weightless. I don’t mean that theatrically or in any other sense. I am actually floating – above London. On the right, Tower Bridge holds the banks together. On the left, the London Eye and St. Paul’s Cathedral wave at me. London is literally at my feet. At the luxury hotel Shangri-La at the Shard, the otherwise seemingly overpowering city shrinks to a model train backdrop.

You arrive at the Shangri-La Hotel and a friendly doorman greets you and takes your luggage. You are quickly directed upstairs to the 35th floor reception. Without paying much attention to what is already happening down here. This is because the Shangri-la has 2 receptions in the building. One of them is on the first floor, where all guests’ bags are x-rayed before they can go upstairs. Some may be offended by this, but the Shangri-la only adheres to the security standards of The Shard. I myself find that very reassuring. And the fact that the security staff doing the x-rays are very cordial and warm makes this extra step somehow pleasant and “bearable”.

The high-speed elevator takes you to the 35th floor in just a few seconds. As soon as the doors open, the view of the overwhelming glass front is released at which one literally takes one’s breath away and gets a superior view of the capital. Already here it is difficult to avert one’s gaze. Only the view from your own room surpasses everything. At the same time you perceive the “Essence of Shangri-La” a pleasant, subtle scent of sandalwood, musk, vanilla.

Sightseeing from bed at the Shangri-la Hotel at the Shard

The bed in my Iconic CityView room is 2x2m and comfortable. The attraction is too much. I bed down with various pillows in the back. Only the large TV interferes a bit with my London sightseeing from the bed.

An outstanding eye-catcher

The Chinese hotel group is the largest tenant of the 72-story pyramid The Shard. 19 floors, one-sixth of the space, with 202 rooms and suites are occupied by the Shangri-La Hotel. In addition, offices, restaurants, luxury apartments and an observation deck fill the floors. The Shard is imposing – from the outside as well as the inside – and has changed the skyline on the Thames. Critics would say irretrievably disfigured. Builder and star architect Renzo Piano said:

“It takes time to recognize good architecture and appreciate it.”

For me, the Shard is part of the London skyline and will forever be one of my favorites.

My Iconic View Room

My room was on the 48th floor, an Iconic City View Room. Iconic View Rooms have floor to ceiling glass windows on the side and front of the room.

The room is equipped with binoculars and I spent almost an hour playing “I spy” with the binoculars. The Thames was right in front of me, along with the Tower of London, Tower Bridge (and all the other bridges).

I could see people walking on the bridge, the city’s cruise ships going up and down the Thames, and most importantly, the train line, which from 48 stories up looks like a small caterpillar chugging along.

The bed was delightfully firm and the pillows very dense and sturdy, with just enough fluff. If I could design my own bed and pillows, I would want the Shangri-la.

The marble-clad bathroom consists of a shower and a bathtub. The floor warms your feet, a TV screen in the mirrored area allows you to watch the news while brushing your teeth (for me it’s always Frasier on Channel 4 ;-)), and the Japanese high-tech toilet heats up your bottom. Whether you can take a bath in the dark in the light without hesitation? The answer is a definite YES.