Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard London

Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard London Lockdown may have scuppered any immediate plans for overseas travel but you don’t have to get on a plane to feel transported to an exotic location. OK, I’m talking about London – but don’t turn away now. I promise you this is not London as you know it.

The Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard is offering its ‘ultimate staycation in the sky’ and it comes with lots of extras (more on these later) and quite a few safeguards that are especially reassuring in the Covid-19 era. For a start, you get complimentary parking, so no worries about taking public transport, your temperature is tested as you enter the building and you are given your own (re-usable) Shangri-La mask to use in all the public areas (unless you are eating or drinking of course). There are one-way routes and hand sanitisers everywhere and there is plenty of space here, so no worries about social distancing.

Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard London - deluxe city view king room There is plenty of space in your room, too. And so much more. I was on the 45th floor and from the moment I entered, I was drawn irresistibly to the wall of glass that looked down on the city below. There was the London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral, the river winding its way from Westminster, the trains slowly snaking into London Bridge station. From here the city looks like a map laid out before you, the eagle’s eye view of the capital. It brings London life into perspective – and I don’t just mean in the most literal visual sense.

The bathroom has not one but two of these walls of glass and it’s the scene of the first of those extras. From the freestanding bath you get the most stupendous views so clearly you want to make the most of them. Enter your bath butler. Mine was called Sidney and arrived bearing gifts: bath oils, a bag of dried flowers and herbs and bath scrub all from Neal’s Yard apothecary in Covent Garden. He then disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door. Ten minutes later, I was allowed to enter and discovered a bubble bath with foam around three or four inches deep and flecked with herbs – utterly sybaritic.

Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard London - Ting Restaurant After all this, it was time to get ready for dinner in the hotel’s Ting Restaurant that specialises in both English and Asian cuisine. You can mix and match these so while I had a perfect beetroot and goat’s cheese salad followed by curried chicken Kiev with Asian chunky chips made from chick peas, my husband had Cornish crab Benedict and Singapore laksa curry. On the side, as it were, we had the Tower of London and Tower Bridge and immediately below us was HMS Belfast looking like a model boat.

I couldn’t bear to close the blinds at night given the spectacular view and still slept well, perhaps because it is absolutely silent. You can certainly see the city up here but you definitely can’t hear it. And in spite of a rather dismal weather forecast, we actually enjoyed a beautiful sunset and sunrise but it must also be quite wonderful on those days when all you can see below you are the clouds.

The next morning after a lazy breakfast, we checked out, but we hadn’t completely finished our stay. The next part of the package was a personal shopping experience at Harvey Nichols, with a dedicated shopping consultant in a private area of the store and (just in case you were feeling deprived of sybaritic experiences) champagne.

Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard London - Gong Bar The champagne can help break the ice, as it were, for people nervous about the whole personal shopping experience – strangely enough, this is not uncommon. In fact, it’s a fun and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours, especially if you like clothes. It helps that Gaynor, my consultant, was engaging, interested and not at all threatening – you are not going to get bullied either into wearing something you don’t like or indeed buying anything at all!

The form is that your consultant will call you beforehand to get some details about you, what you wear and what you might be looking for. I thought I’d like a general updating of my look and some new ideas, things I might not have considered before. So, before I arrived, Gaynor had pulled out some clothes, as well as bags, footwear and even sunglasses to get us started. Then, as I tried on a few things, liked some, rejected others, she set off through the store to bring in new suggestions. And, yes, I did get plenty of ideas and insights – it’s amazing what you can learn from the professionals!

Though it’s called ‘Summer in the Sky’, the Shangri-La is continuing the offer all the way up to Christmas, so if you’re thinking about Christmas shopping trips, this may just be the perfect combination of practicality and a rather big treat just for you.

From £589 per night for two including breakfast, room upgrade, complimentary parking, Harvey Nichols personal shopping experience, deluxe bath experience and 20% discount in the hotel’s bars and restaurant.

Images © Shangri-La Hotel London

107 people found this helpful
19761

Share Article:

Anna Selby

Travel writer & author

Leave a comment

*

Sign up to our newsletter to receive the latest travel tips on top destinations.

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Most Recent Articles

There’s something refreshingly nostalgic about the quintessential British coach holiday….

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.