Photo: londondrum.comUseful things to know before your stay
Star rating: ★★★★★ Address: Shangri-La The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, Southwark SE1 9QU. Telephone: 0207 234 8000. Website: shangri-la.com/london
Is the hotel a good base for sightseeing?
Yes. You’ll have to walk over London Bridge for most of the landmarks and attractions, but there are quite a few good ones on the southside of the river as well. If you discount the View From The Shard (there’s not much point paying for that when you’re sleeping inside it!) then other attractions within a 15 minute walk include The Shard, Old Operating Theatre, Borough Market, HMS Belfast, Clink Prison Museum, Golden Hinde, Billingsgate Roman House & Baths, The Monument, All Hallows-by-the-Tower, Tower Bridge, Sky Garden and Globe Theatre. Another nice thing about this hotel is that you can enjoy a walk down the river every evening to get back home.
How much does it cost to stay at the hotel?
Prices can change from day to day depending on availability, but a rough guide for both single and double rooms is £600 to £830 per night.
How many rooms does it have?
Shangri-La The Shard has 202 rooms.
What facilities does the hotel have?
The hotel has three different restaurants (but remember to book because they let in people off the street), a bar, concierge and currency exchange services, plus a gym, swimming pool and in-room spa treatments.
What facilities are in the rooms?
The rooms are very well equipped with a minibar, tea & coffee making facilities, a TV, telephone, desk and wi-fi, a personal safe, and an ensuite bathroom with a hairdryer, iron and air-conditioning. They even provide a pair of binoculars so you can enjoy the view.
What time is check-in, and check-out?
Check-in is from 4 PM and check-out is by 11 AM.
Which buses go to Shangri-La The Shard?
Bus routes 8, 26, 35, 42, 47, 48, 78, 135, 149, 205, 242, 344 and 388 all stop close by.
Which is the closest train station?
The nearest station is London Bridge, which connects with the Jubilee and Northern lines. It also serves National Rail trains. It only takes a minute to walk to Shangri-La The Shard.
Does the hotel have its own car park?
The hotel doesn’t have its own car park, but they do offer valet parking. Here’s a list of car parks near London Bridge.
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Email My review of Shangri-La The Shard
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like staying in a 5-star hotel then let me just say one thing: heated toilet seats. I know it’s a bit uncouth talking about the toilet but the rim has angled fountains that you can move with a computerised control panel on the wall – it’s a very hi-tech toilet. I’ve never sat on a toilet that has to be plugged into the mains before. That’s probably why the room costs so much money – you’re paying £100 quid just for the toilet!
Forget the bedroom. Forget the restaurant, forget the bar and the comfy bed… who cares about all of those. Let’s just focus on the bathroom for a little while longer. I think I’m going to stay in here for two days because it’s fantastic – they’ve got a space-age telly that’s somehow floating inside the mirror, about six inches behind the glass.
Photo: londondrum.comSo what else is in the room? Well… the first time you enter they will have warmed up a pot of tea for you which I thought that was a nice touch, until I realised that it was Chinese tea with a load of herbal weeds in it. Luckily you get a little Nespresso machine with some complimentary capsules as well. They’ve put an Oriental Pot Noodle in the cupboard as well (but with a much posher sounding name – but we all know it’s a Pot Noodle) plus a few tubs of nuts and shortbread biscuits. I daren’t eat any of this stuff because I don’t know how much it costs – I haven’t found the minibar menu yet.
Okay, I’ve found it now… here we go. Have a listen to this. Nuts = £7. Plain packet of crisps = £7. A normal sized can of Coke = £4. A tiny little bar of chocolate about the same size as a credit card = £5. A little minibar-sized bottle of Jack Daniels = £9.
Photo: londondrum.com
Photo: londondrum.comI’ve also found a little school set in the desk with a pair of scissors in it, a stapler, pencil, pencil sharpener and Tipex tape. And here’s something strange: I’ve just discovered a big chunky torch in the drawer. I’m assuming that’s in case we have to evacuate the skyscraper in an emergency. That’s a bit worrying! I immediately start thinking of the Towering Inferno with Steve McQueen.
The Shangri-La is halfway up The Shard, by the way. (Did I not mention that? I was too busy talking about the toilet!) The hotel spans floors 34 to 52 of 72 and my room is on the 45th. The view is absolutely amazing. If you thought that the London Eye was high then compared to The Shard it’s tiny. I paid for a ‘City View’ room and I can see everything from Big Ben in the west, right round the bend of the Thames to St. Paul’s Cathedral and the City skyscrapers. It doesn’t quite go far enough around to see Tower Bridge, but some of their other rooms must do.
Photo: londondrum.comThey even provide you with a pair of binoculars and a comfy armchair by the window so you can just sit and relax if you want, watching the trains snaking their way into London Bridge station. I can follow their entire journey from Waterloo East to Cannon Street from my seat in the sky. I can see eight river bridges and three different cathedrals – St. Paul’s, Southwark and Westminster. The binoculars are teasing out Whitehall and maybe Buckingham Palace as well, but the sunlight is a shade too hazy. Imagine being able to see all of that plus the Bank of England, Tate Modern and Nelson’s Column as well, all from the same window.
Photo: londondrum.comAnd the view at night is even more incredible when see all the city lights come to life. You feel like a spy satellite watching the tiny little ants pouring out of the office blocks and going home across the bridge.
Photo: londondrum.com
So we’ve established that the room is amazing… but what about the bar and restaurant? Well unfortunately they’re not quite as good. Silly old me just assumed that because it was a 5-star hotel it would always have a place to eat and drink, but it turns out that you need to book a reservation because they also let people in off the street, with no preference given to the guests. If you decide to go down there on a whim then you may as well forget it – you’ve got no chance of getting in because it’s always heaving with people. I got turned away myself, and heard another guy complaining at the desk when he met the same fate. And if you do manage to get in then you have to keep an eye on the clock because you’re also given a deadline to leave. Who’s ever heard of booking a time slot in a hotel bar?
They also do that cheeky thing of pre-authorising a load of extra money on your credit card when you check-in, just in case you decide to make some phone calls to Peru or order some Dom Pérignon champagne from room service. And it’s a very hefty charge as well: £200 quid a night (on top of the money that you’ve already paid for the room). That money then becomes frozen so you can’t spend it until your holiday is over, which is something to bear in mind.
Here is my final advice: this hotel is all about the view, which is absolutely fantastic, but I don’t recommend staying here when you can enjoy exactly the same view by just visiting The Shard as a tourist. If you want a luxurious 5-star then try Threadneedles, The Royal Horseguards or The Ritz.
I’ve ranked The Shard as ★5 in the best things to do with kids in London, ★7 in my favourite places for photos in London and ★9 in the 25 things to do in London at least once
It also appears in my one-day London itineraries with timings, one-day London itinerary for families, what to do in London in 2 days itinerary, spending two days in London with the family itinerary and how to spend a week in London itinerary
London Squire guidebook – Check out my guidebook available to buy at Amazon, Apple and Kobo. I’ve personally visited 210 London landmarks, attractions and hotels and collected all of my reviews, example itineraries, handy practical info, and advice about using the buses and trains into an eBook, along with 675 original photos
What do you think? (6)
Average rating ★★★★★★★★★★Ask a question, or share your experience of Shangri-La The Shard
Pete&Sue Hi Craig. Do you think it’s worth staying here for the view. I would quite like to try it because there’s no other hotel like it, but my wife would rather stay somewhere else (somewhere closer to ground level!) I’m trying to convince her to stay here for our 30th anniversary. (reply)
↳Craig Hi Pete. I think I’m going to side with your wife… sorry! This place is all about the view. If you take that away then it doesn’t come close to some other 5-star hotels I’ve stayed at, like Threadneedles or the Royal Horseguards. If really want to see the view then you can always go up The Shard as a tourist. Maybe you could stay in another hotel and book a meal in one of the restaurants, then you’ll be getting the best of both worlds. (reply)
GField Hi, Is the hotel at the top of the shard? Can you visit the public viewing floor for free if you’re staying at the hotel? (reply)
↳Craig Hi GField. The hotel is on floors 34 to 52, about two-thirds of the way up. The public observation levels are on floors 68 to 72. You don’t get to use the public ones for free but the view from your room is just as good. The only difference is it’s not a 360 degree view all the way round, but you can still see plenty of landmarks from a ‘city view’ room. (reply)
Mary I am worried about the height and worry that I won’t be able to sleep. Knowing that I am so high up will keep me awake! (reply)
J&G We enjoyed our stay 👍 the rooms are very luxurious. (reply)
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