Contained in the Shangri-La London hidden inside the iconic Shard constructing

Positioned inside The Shard, a now-iconic (and as soon as divisive) skyscraper on south facet of the river Thames and the tallest constructing in the UK at 309.6 meters (1,015.7 ft) excessive, the Shangri-La London has discovered itself on the crux of a variety of pandemic journey traits, from staycations to digital nomads, and it’s in a first-rate spot to serve each vacationers and enterprise vacationers being close to the monetary middle of London in addition to a number of the metropolis’s most well-known websites, together with the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tate Fashionable, and Borough Market.

Shangri-La London was capable of stay open for many of the pandemic, exterior of obligatory lockdown durations, particularly catering to home vacationers and staycationers in 2020 and 2021. And whereas London did begin to see a rebound in tourism this yr (airport meltdowns, apart), the demographics round who’s visiting modified dramatically this yr, particularly as Asia is simply slowly reopening to coming and going now. On the similar time, Shangri-La London’s administration says it has been welcoming an rising variety of American vacationers over the past a number of months.

Shangri-La Motels and Resorts has greater than 100 luxurious resorts and resorts with greater than 40,000 rooms throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, the Center East, North America, and Australia since launching out of Singapore in 1971. The hospitality large is now based mostly in Hong Kong. First opened in 2014, the London location was Shangri-La’s first property in the UK, occupying the thirty fourth to 52nd flooring of Renzo Piano’s iconic high-rise.

Whereas every particular person Shangri-La location is designed to weave in native touches and customs, the resort group does try to take care of a signature theme throughout all of its places in order that repeat visitors develop a way of dwelling on every keep. This features a signature scent of lotus and jasmine within the lobbies in addition to signature music within the foyer and on the industrial enjoying on the visitor room TV upon arrival.

Lottie Fisher, assistant director of promoting and communications at Shangri-La London, says it’s a matter of what the resort group can champion at every location, between each the model’s heritage and the tradition native to the respective resort or resort. And the outcomes are refined, with out being overpowering or kitschy.

And given its location to The Metropolis, London’s monetary middle, it’s a first-rate spot for enterprise vacationers. The resort additionally hosts a variety of company occasions on its Sky Terrace on the thirty fourth flooring with a powerful view overlooking the Thames. Native workplace staff make up many of the buyer base for Bar 31, the resort’s all-day café and bar on the bottom flooring, simply exterior London Bridge Station. The informal eating spot serves pastries, pizza, cocktails, and extra, and in the course of the coming vacation season, the bar shall be establishing chalet-style seating on the outside terrace, the place visitors can imbibe sizzling chocolate or mulled wine.

Shangri-La truly received in on the floor degree, each actually and figuratively, because the resort group went to the Shard’s builders whereas the now-iconic glass construction was already being constructed. That made it simpler for the resort group to construct out greater than 200 visitor suites (every with a panoramic view—no inside “courtyard-view” rooms right here), an infinity pool, a health middle, and three eating venues (and their huge kitchens) with extra freedom.

Together with Bar 31, the resort has two onsite eating places within the higher ranges. TĪNG, on the thirty fifth flooring, serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, however one of the best motive to go to is for afternoon tea. The restaurant has an in depth menu of teas from each England and throughout Asia, together with blends proprietary to Shangri-La. Friends shouldn’t skip out on the sandwiches and pastries—with vegan and vegetarian alternate options accessible. Servers heighten the expertise with a particular table-side expertise, beginning with a white chocolate duplicate of The Shard, on high of a platter full of dry ice. When the server pours sizzling water over the ice, it creates a magical impact as clouds unfold all through the desk.

Shangri-La additionally has a signature restaurant, Shang Palace, a advantageous eating institution specializing in Cantonese delicacies, which is at most Shangri-La resorts. The Paris website, notably, is the one Michelin-starred Chinese language restaurant in France. Open since 2011, Shang Palace on the Shangri-La Paris was Europe’s first outpost and has stored its Michelin star since 2012. Whereas London doesn’t have a Shang Palace, it does have GŎNG, a Japanese restaurant on the 52nd flooring, with a really authentic and eclectic cocktail menu and a dinner menu that features a wide range of sushi, gyoza, and tempura.

Room charges fluctuate all year long. Going into the winter season, charges begin at roughly $929 (£700) per evening based mostly on two folks sharing a Premier Shard Room on a room-only foundation.

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