Tried & Tested: Reviews
Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, London
author: April Hutchinson
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ first UK hotel certainly made a debut other hotel groups would covet when it opened for business on levels 34 to 52 of iconic Renzo Piano-designed building, The Shard. That was in May 2014, but it wasn’t until a year later that the finale happened – the arrival of the three spectacular Signature Suites, including one of the largest in London, the Shangri-La Suite. It was here I spent one very special night. OK, nothing actually special happened, but to be able to sleep with what seemed like the whole of London beneath you was certainly a one-off experience. The one-bedroom Shangri-La Suite is on floor 39 and was designed by FM Architettura d’Interni Studio. They could have covered the walls in newspaper as all you end up doing in this suite is gazing mindlessly out at London, trying to spot landmarks, or even using the telescope to zoom in on some of the little figures below. Of course they didn’t use
newspaper, but high-grade silk
Good to know The Shard may be an attraction in itself, but there are plenty of tourism highlights to visit close by, including Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Borough Market, the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral. A trip to Gong is a must, to have a drink at the highest bar in Europe. Located at level 52, it’s a sky lounge created by architect Andre Fu; also up here is the infinity pool, also Europe’s highest, and a 24-hour gym. When using chauffeur service, Wi-Fi and iPad access is included. There is a porter and greeting service at London Bridge station (beneath the Shard) and an electric-powered courtesy car is available for guests. There are torches for guests visiting Bermondsey Antique Market in the early hours; and the hotel has 500 umbrellas.
wallpaper, designed with a nod to the Asian roots of Shangri-La with motifs of far-off blooms and the colour palette is champagne, citrine and bronze. We all talk about how people “don’t want the gold taps and white gloves” world of luxury anymore; but brushed rose-gold
taps and fluffy white robes we can handle. All the world’s luxury hotels must
have their “hero suites”, or a penthouse, but few of them have this scale, view and utter feeling of being in your own little world. Unlike some penthouses, there’s no terrace, that would be silly. But there is a dining table and central lounge area filled with plump cushions and a coffee table groaning with stylish tomes. Soft leather chaise longues enable you to sit and plot your next million in comfort as you stare out from your Bond-like lair; while the corner study area with windows over the Thames gave me a suitably Alan Sugar-esque feeling of power. There’s a wonderful femininity to
the design, which is often missing in power suites, and amenities are Acqua di Parma. There is a hi-tech Toto loo of course, as we can’t have people sitting on chilly toilet seats or lifting the seat themselves. A huge closet has ample space for
luggage and there’s butler service. There’s also a pantry with a well- stocked wine fridge… and a normal fridge for the budget-watching tee totallers. The bedroom is home to a grand Shangri-La Bed with body-contouring technology and 1,000-threadcount Frette linens. Would the phrase “sleeping like a
log” mean much to those clever Italians at Frette? Probably not. It was never going to be easy pricking the fantasy of a night here, but I did, and faced breakfast with mere mortals in Ting, the hotel’s restaurant and lounge on level 35. It has elegant Chinoiserie design, but it’s a busy part of the hotel and the guests, like the buffet, covered all continents. Somewhere in the rest of the hotel, there is a total of 202 rooms and suites, all with views just as good as from my suite. Upon arrival, Shangri-La has
done its best to make it not feel as if you are arriving for work in a skyscraper. The entrance lobby on St Thomas Street is home to four soaring artworks and once up at the lobby on level 35, all woes should be dismissed by magnetising views through double-height glass windows.
How to book it Nights at the Shangri-La Suite start at £10,000; also available are the Westminster and London Signature Suites from £5,000 including breakfast, 24-hour butler service and private chauffeur service. A regular room costs from £350, Wi-Fi is included, as is morning tea or coffee. Tel: 020 7234 8088,
Shangri-la.com/London
TRIED & TESTED WINTER 2015
TTGLUXURY.COM 81
On top of the world
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