When people think of a dream luxury suite, do they think of the private butler service on demand? Electronically operated and heated TOTO toilets? Views over one of the most iconic cities in the world? A huge jacuzzi bath in the room? A room bigger than some 1 bedroom apartments perhaps? But what if there was a suite that offered it all and more. This is a review of quite possibly the most luxurious hotel suite in London.
The Shangri-La, At The Shard, London is a hotel of a completely different kind, maybe because it's so high above London, but also because the moment you enter, it's almost like you've been transported to another country thanks to the oriental design of the hotel. On the ground floor entrance is the first of the concierge desks where you can leave bags for porters to take up to your room, then there are lifts which take you straight up to level 35 in a matter of seconds.
On Level 35 is another concierge desk, as well as reception and Ting restaurant where breakfast is served in the mornings. The one thing that becomes quickly apparent is how much space and natural light there is thanks to the design of The Shard, and the interior design of the hotel that complements it. From reception, we were shown to our room and nothing could've prepared us for the surprise the Shangri-La, At The Shard, London had for us!
We were taken to Level 39, where our surprise awaited us. Originally for this review, we were staying in the Iconic Shard Suite however, the hotel found out about the blog and surprised us with an upgrade to one of the most iconic suites in London - the £10,000 a night Shangri-La Suite. The reason the Shangri-La suite isn't higher up (the hotel goes all the way to level 52), is because the shard gets slimmer the higher you go, and so the rooms on the higher levels are all smaller in size.
On entrance to the suite, you are immediately welcomed with the feeling of space because this suite is huge! To the left of the entrance door is the first of 2 TOTO toilets that are in the suite, with electronically heated seats as well as cleaning and drying functions. For those familiar with the Closomat toilet, think the Toto as having all the functions of the Closomat plus a heated seat and automatic lid! Then to the right of the entrance door is a storage area for coats and jackets if holding an in-room party, of which this suite has more than ample space to do!
The combined living and dining area is beautifully designed with attention to detail seen everywhere! From a dining room table which can seat 10, to a living area with corner sofa, chaise and a TV which is hidden in a sideboard when not in use alongside a writing desk with binoculars for looking out of the windows to watch the stars at night, or bring the sights of London closer to you, as well as a telescope. There's also a small kitchen with private butlers entrance, a selection of wines, champagnes, Nespresso pods with professional Nespresso machine, tea from Camellia's Tea House (The Shangri-La welcome blend has become a personal favourite since trying it during my stay), and a fridge with more drinks options. Going back to the Butler's entrance, there is a butler on demand for the suite, and they can even prepare something in the kitchen for you on request.
The living area then leads onto a study area with another TV this time hidden behind sliding doors, a writing desk with lots of storage and a jacket hanger and other amenities. I used this in the morning before we left to catch up on some work and also surprise Alex by writing a cute letter whilst admiring views over a part of London which one day could become very special to both of us.
The study has 2 entrance points into the bedroom, one on either side of the sliding doors that hide the TVs since there is another TV on the other side of this unit in the bedroom, again hidden by sliding doors. There's also storage in this one which contains anther minibar area and snacks, alongside a sofa at the end of a beautiful bed which made my super-king at home look tiny! There was also another chaise which I used to get some in-room photos of Alex and I admiring the views from. There was also water on both sides of the bed which was replenished during turn-down service.
From the bedroom, there's another corridor which contains yet another private entrance, as well as a walk-in wardrobe to the left which is where slippers and robes could be found amongst other amenities, and the bathroom on the right with beautifully designed his and hers sinks with Acqua Di Parma amenities, a vanity area with Dyson hairdryer, a shower with a bench to the right, which if you have your own roll-in chair you can easily use, and the second TOTO toilet. The masterpiece, however, is the beautiful jacuzzi bath at the end of the bathroom which stretches along the entire back wall. I did have some difficulty in working out how to empty it and get the jacuzzi functions to work, but after a quick phone call and a lesson from our personal Butler, we had no trouble in using it.
Onto other areas of the hotel, and on level 52 you'll find the gym and an impressive pool and relaxation area as well as GONG Bar. Level 52 also has a standard changing area for disabled people, but unfortunately, it isn't 'Changing Places' style. The rooftop infinity pool is a delight but with no hoist access, you'll need to be comfortable with your upper body strength to get in and out, also the pool isn't manned but does have CCTV. It does, however, have beautiful views over London, as well as a relaxation area that goes around the outside of the pool and a Nespresso coffee machine.
Breakfast was served at Ting on level 35 with an array of buffet-style options including full English, continental and some oriental options in a nod to the oriental style of the Shangri-La brand. The tables by the windows have some truly before views of London in the morning, and the layout of the restaurant meant it was easy to navigate as a wheelchair user. However, when busy the service can be a little slow, and our toast was forgotten about until later on whilst we were having breakfast,
Overall, the Shangri-La, At The Shard, London is an impressive hotel that as a special treat in London I fully recommend looking into. The design is in every way beautiful, and the staff are extremely helpful even when rushed off of their feet. The breakfast offerings were beautiful, and I was pleased to see honeycomb being an option as that isn't usually seen at breakfast but I'm glad it was here!
The suite as you can probably tell isn't tagged as accessible, and the way the toilets are positioned would make it difficult with transfers if you're disabled and usually use grab rails etc when transferring. However, space was incredible with enough room to move around using my wheelchair, and the telephones in the room do have a light for those with hearing impairments which allows you to know the phone is ringing. However, the bathroom could be used by a disabled person if a few things like a shower chair etc could be available on request, and if there was a way to perhaps use removable grab aids for those requiring them so that the design of the room wouldn't be compromised too much.
One other thing to note is that during your stay, the Shangri-La, At The Shard, London has an exclusive offer for Harvey Nichols including discounts in the store during your stay and other perks. Also, if you stay in any of the suites or an Iconic City View room for 3 nights or more, you get a luxury gift full of beauty products from Harvey Nichols gifted to you.
A massive thank you to the Staff at the Shangri-La, At The Shard, London for making this review possible!