"Is this real life?!" - the repeating phrase that was going through my head during the first 5 minutes as I walked around my Deluxe City View room at the Shangri-La during my stay in London, UK.
Besides being in awe about the design of the room, the view is what caught my attention the most. Located in the tallest building in the UK, The Shard, it is inevitable that the hotel rooms would come with a stunning view of the city. Shangri-La London offers 185 guestrooms along with 17 suites on floors 36 to 50 of The Shard. It is also home to the highest champagne bar in western Europe and also the highest swimming pool - both located on the 52nd floor.
Walking into the hotel, I was welcomed and shown to the elevator that would take me to the lobby. The lobby wasn't on the ground floor? That was a first for me! Besides not being on the ground floor of the building, it was actually on the 35th floor! Floor-to-ceiling windows all around greeted me as I came out of the elevator, which I was soon to realize was on every single floor. I just can't boast enough about the 360 degree views of the city!
Besides being in awe about the design of the room, the view is what caught my attention the most. Located in the tallest building in the UK, The Shard, it is inevitable that the hotel rooms would come with a stunning view of the city. Shangri-La London offers 185 guestrooms along with 17 suites on floors 36 to 50 of The Shard. It is also home to the highest champagne bar in western Europe and also the highest swimming pool - both located on the 52nd floor.
Walking into the hotel, I was welcomed and shown to the elevator that would take me to the lobby. The lobby wasn't on the ground floor? That was a first for me! Besides not being on the ground floor of the building, it was actually on the 35th floor! Floor-to-ceiling windows all around greeted me as I came out of the elevator, which I was soon to realize was on every single floor. I just can't boast enough about the 360 degree views of the city!
Read on for a comprehensive review of my stay at the Shangri-La at the Shard during my trip to London in June 2017.
> The Room
As mentioned previously, I was fortunate to have stayed in the Deluxe City View Room, which garnered me views including the City of London, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Canary Wharf, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and Tate Modern. From sunrise to sunset, there was not a minute during the day that the view didn't 'wow' me. It also helped that when I was in London, the skies were clear and sunny. If you've ever been, you'll know how rare that is!
I arrived during sunset, so when I tapped my room key on the door to enter my corner room on the 46th floor, I was greeted with the most beautiful sunset overlooking Tower Bridge and the City of London. After staring out the floor to ceiling windows surrounding my entire room like a frozen statue, I slowly glanced around the rest of my room.
I’m not necessarily a person that ‘wows’ over the bathroom, and if you’re the same as me, you will change your mind once you see this photo.
But back to the room, I have to say that having a corner room was amazing because I got a wider view of the city. My bathroom faced the NW side of London, where my room was able to view the N and NE side. And with the floor to ceiling windows, you had a great view from any viewpoint! What else I found super useful was having bedside control to the lighting, sun-shielding panels, and black-out shutters! It was awesome not needing to get out of my warm bed to turn off the light after I finished scrolling through Instagram for the night haha.
And of course, the suites at the Shangri-La are no joke. I got to tour one of the main suites where you had your own elevator in the Shard (um, pardon), your own personal butler that is at your service, a living and dining room that is bigger than my apartment in Toronto, as well as a walk-in closet & a massive bathroom that can house a family of four - to say the least. Haha, I may be exaggerating a little bit, but if you want luxury, you got it!
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> The Hotel & Food
Looking for a place to have some of the best dishes + the best view of the city? The farthest you need to go from your room is down a couple floors to level 35. Located on the floor of Shangri-La's lobby is their signature restaurant, TĪNG. With stunning views of River Thames, including Tower Bridge, I can ensure that you will be welcomed with the best service from the staff as they serve you British cuisine with an Asian twist. You can't go wrong with ordering the scallops as a starter and the côte de bœuf as your main. Soon you will be able to click here for a full review of my dining experience at TĪNG.
After dinner, I promise you won't want your night to end here. I suggest heading up to GŎNG on level 52 to enjoy a cocktail like you’ve never experienced before. Currently, there are 16 unique cocktails including one that actually floats (see below)! As mentioned above, GŎNG is the highest champagne bar in western Europe, so if you aren't feeling a cocktail, enjoy a glass of bubbly! Just be sure to ask for a window seat so you can enjoy your cocktail as you watch London light up for the night. If you're on level 52 during the day, I would highly recommend dipping your toes and spending some time relaxing at the highest swimming pool in Western Europe as well. Steps away from GŎNG, you will find the most serene pool overlooking Londontown. It's a way to relax that you definitely do not want to miss.
The location of this hotel is also a very important factor that you should consider when picking your hotel. It is located next to the London Bridge Tube Station (literally), and is just steps away from the Borough Market. If you wanted to venture closer to River Thames, you will be able to find a strip of a variety of restaurants on South Bank that can satisfy any kind of craving you have.
Although I am an avid explorer, but a little advice from me? If you don't want to leave the hotel, you honestly don't have to. Shangri-La has everything that you need. But if you do want to go out and explore the city by eating, be sure to click here to read my 5 Bites of London article!
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Click here to check out the hotel's website.
