Spanning 20 countries and over 100 five-star locations, the Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts meet the true meaning of an idyllic escape as they offer guests effortless serenity and world-class comfort within a luxurious setting. The Shangri-La at the Shard in London, which opened their doors in May of 2014, welcomes guests with the grand architectural visage of the Shard: a Renzo Piano designed building. Located on St. Thomas Street, this five star hotel marks the first elevated luxury hotel in London, with it taking up the 34th to 52nd floors of the building.
The main sections of the hotel demonstrate a contemporary design scheme with a focus on Oriental motifs, which is a signature aspect of the Shangri-La. The overall design from tones to contours allow the interiors to perfectly assimilate together with the feel of the city. Encompassing 19 floors of the Shard, the 202 room hotel offers three signature dining and drinking spaces, three river forward-facing event rooms, an infinity pool, a 24-hour gym and unforgettably, stunning views of London.
Upon entering the Hotel’s entrance on the Shard’s ground floor, guests are received in the lobby by four unique soaring artworks alongside the concierge desk. The gold sheltered artworks at the desk feature Chinese ink paintings that define the artistic spirit of traditional Chinese culture in a creative style. A beautiful sight to see while enjoying the gorgeously simple furniture or walking along the yellow floral designed carpet. Lastly, an elevator near the front desk takes you directly to the 35th floor where the hotel’s sky lobby is situated.
As soon as you exit the elevator, you are greeted by the sky lobby’s East meets West decor and majestic views of the city through floor-to-ceiling glass windows. From this level one can go straight down to the 34th floor via the Grand Staircase, where conferences and other private events are held; the Ren, Li and Yi private venues (Translated from Chinese as: Benevolence, Propriety and Righteousness, respectively) all offer prominent views of the city and the River Thames.
Encompassing 400 square metres (4,300+ square feet), the 34th floor hosts three conference rooms that can serve any occasion, be it a friendly social gathering, meticulous business meeting or a jubilant wedding party. The Shangri-La conference rooms can accommodate up to 140 guests explicitly for business and social engagements in an elegant, yet calming ambiance. Civil ceremonies are also available for those looking for a wedding venue that is capable of seating 2 to 110 guests. As the perfect backdrop, when one journeys down the grand staircase, surrounded by double-height glass windows that provide unobstructed views of the scenic city of London, they will be unable to forget this moment in time, especially if a camera is present to capture the moment.
At 309.6 metres (1,016 feet), the Shard takes the crown for Western Europe’s tallest tower. The structure’s innovative form is meant to serve as a testament to a bygone era of London history. Architect Renzo Piano had stated his inspiration originated from how “the shape of the tower is generous at the bottom and narrow at the top, disappearing in the air like a 16th century pinnacle or the mast of a very tall ship.”
From the 36th floor to the 51st floor, all 202 rooms at the Shangri La deliver unhindered views of London’s bustling cityscape thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows. Rooms at the hotel are divided into two main categories: 185 are separated into standard rooms (some of which include a bathtub with panoramic views) while the other 17 are suites. A highlight of these accommodations is that every room is unique; each offering a special vibe different in both shape and size, but with equally generous spaces starting at 30 square metres (322 square feet). Boasting a comforting and serene air, guests are easily entranced by uncompromising views that overlook historical landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and Canary Wharf. Guests can better plan their day’s agenda by seeing how close each of these famous places are located and deciding on when the most optimal time is to visit.
The interior design language of each room integrates a cultured and refined style with polished slabs of marble, fine silks and light woods, coupled with the exceptional hospitality that the Shangri-La is famous for in order to give occupants an immensely enjoyable experience like no other.
Offering outstanding views, luxurious decor and expansive space, the hotel introduces three types of exquisitely designed suites, also known as the Signature Suites: the Shangri-La Suite, the London Suite and the Westminster Suite. Located on the 39th floor, the one bedroom Shangri-La Suite is well known as one of the most breathtaking suites in all of London. Spanning from at least 188 square metres (or 232 square metres when connected to an adjacent room), this suite was brilliantly designed by Francesca Muzio and Maria Silvia Orlandini, co-founders of Italian design atelier FM – Architettura d’Interni Studio. Featuring a private lift, 24-hour exclusive butler service, ample living area and 180-degree views, the suite is finished with custom-designed furniture and fine silk wallpaper in champagne, citrine and bronze colours by FM.
Highlights of the Shangri-La Suite include the Shangri-La Bed with Frette 1,000 thread count linen and body-contouring technological application, as well as a marble-encased en suite, walk-in closet, high-quality crystal glassware and fully stocked pantry. The nightly rate begins at £10,000, and includes breakfast for two and VAT.
Though not as prominently renowned as the Shangri-La Suite, the one bedroom Westminster Suite and London Suite, which are perfectly situated on the 37th and 38th floors, respectively, offer an exceptionally fine experience that guests will not soon forget. Also boasting custom furniture, silks and carpets by FM, these two suites share a remarkable resemblance with the Shangri-La Suite as they all reveal an individually standout interior outline characterized by rich Asian culture along with the Shard’s elegant finishes.
The Westminster Suite and the London Suite boast a 24-hour exclusive butler service as well as lavish living space with office area, walk-in closets, well-defined powder rooms and ample bedroom dimensions. Cutting-edge applications include automatic climate control (that pairs splendidly well with the building’s sun-shielding installment), iPad, state-of-the art Bose entertainment centres and 55” LED televisions. Silk wallpaper depicting an ink wash of geese as it expresses the feeling of being unfettered and free to explore the vast sky, is a lovely facet of Chinese heritage within the aforementioned suites. These two Signature Suites are not only defined by their beautiful decor, but equally by the soothing mood lighting and refreshing natural lighting that concedes moments of sheer bliss and serenity.
The Shangri-La Hotel has two fine dining and drinking venues for guests to choose from: namely TĪNG and GŎNG. Catering towards guests with fresh, locally acquired ingredients from London’s own Borough Market, TĪNG offers a delectable menu of British cuisine accompanied by a blend of Asian savoir-faire. Situated on the 35th floor, the restaurant introduces a laid-back kind of splendor that is further emphasized by its names meaning ‘living room’ in Chinese. TĪNG serves guests breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and late supper, all the while sweeping 360-degree views enhance your dining experience. Their breakfast menu includes signature dishes, such as eggs benedict (£18) or the TĪNG Breakfast (£34), which is a continental and full English buffet. Switching over to the restaurant’s lunch menu, featuring delicious main courses like welsh salt marsh lamb or miso roasted cauliflower, TĪNG offers 2-to-3 courses priced at £30 and £35, respectively.
Located on the 52nd level, known as the highest bar in all of Western Europe, GŎNG becomes the perfect place for enjoying a sunset cocktail or other late night drinks while immersing oneself in unrivaled views of the west, east and north sides of the city of London. The highlights of this venue are the cocktail bar, the champagne bar and the sky pool, which are only open Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with live music being played by a DJ.
Aside from offering seasonal afternoon tea with pastries, this sky-high bar includes signature Shiso & Pineapple ot Grape & Raspberry cocktails. Much alike its fellow drinking and dining venue TĪNG, the word GŎNG originates from the Chinese word ‘dougong’: a type of Chinese structural module ‘of interlocking wooden brackets’ that coincide with the interior layout of the bar GŎNG.
Amenities are plentiful on the 52nd floor, boasting an 11 metre-long heated infinity pool with uncompromising views of the city through floor to ceiling glass windows. Including state of the art health & fitness facilities, such as a sauna, a gym and spa treatments, this space is no doubt an exhilarating experience for any guest staying at the hotel.
For More Information Visit: Shangri-La.com
Images Courtesy of the Shangri-La Hotel
