Checking into the New Shangri-La Hotel, at The Shard
The Shangri-La in the Shard towers over the Thames. (Courtesy: Shangri-La)
By Jennifer Ceaser
What: Some hotels are all about location. At the Shangri-La, it’s all about the views: stupendous floor-to-ceiling panoramas of London landmarks like St. Paul’s Cathedral, Houses of Parliament and the Thames. After four years of construction, the city’s first high-rise hotel — spanning floors 34 to 52 of the 87-story, Renzo Piano-designed, glass-paneled Shard — finally opened May 7.
Where: South of the historic City of London and a few blocks from the famed Borough Market, just off the London Bridge tube.
Why: Where else can you take a bubble bath while gazing out upon the twinkling lights of the London Eye? Or wake to see practically the entire city spread out before you? And there’s nowhere better to watch those notorious London rainstorms moving in.
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Working well: The rooms are minimally decorated but feature lots of high-tech bells and whistles — automated climate control and blinds, heated bathroom floors, Toto Washlet toilets. Plus, there’s the Shangri-La’s noted five-star hospitality, including a pot of hot tea in your room upon arrival. We also dug the Acqua di Parma toiletries.
Needs work: It’s too soon to say what needs work, but we can tell you there is work going on, as rooms are opening on a floor-by-floor basis. Which means, if you’re seeking a little afternoon delight, be prepared for the sounds of drilling. (Currently, 59 rooms are available, 199 more come online throughout the summer and three signature suites will be ready by early fall.)
Panoramic views from London’s new high-rise hotel. (Courtesy: Shangri-La)
Good to know: Bashful guests may want to use the blinds at night; all that glass means your room may be reflected into your neighbor’s. Also, if you’re seeking a little spa time, there isn’t one. However, in-room treatments are available.
Must try: The 35th-floor signature restaurant, Ting, which sources 80 percent of its menu locally — much of it from the nearby Borough Market.
Don’t miss: Getting a drink at Gong, the top-level (52nd-floor) cocktail lounge and champagne bar, where seemingly every Londoner wants to be. (It’s reservation-only, and hotel guests are pushed to the top of the list.) It will only get buzzier come August when the extended pool bar area opens.
Details: From $754; shangri-la.com
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