I paid £850 per night for a Deluxe City View room at the Shangri-La The Shard. Not a press stay. Not a discount. Real money. I wanted to know: does a hotel that starts at £600 a night actually deliver something you can’t get anywhere else in London? Or is it just a glass box with a price tag that makes you feel special?
After two nights, here’s the raw truth — what worked, what didn’t, and exactly who should book this hotel.
The Room: Where the Money Goes (and Where It Doesn’t)
The room is 38 square metres. That’s small for £850. A standard room at the Rosewood London (also £800+) gives you 42 square metres. The difference matters when you’re living out of a suitcase for three days.
The View Is Legitimately Stunning
Floor-to-ceiling windows from level 38. You see the Thames snaking east, the London Eye like a toy, and St Paul’s Cathedral tucked behind modern glass towers. At sunset, the whole city turns amber. I sat on the window seat for 45 minutes just watching. No photo does it justice because your brain can’t process the height and scale simultaneously through a lens.
The window has a built-in blind operated by a switch near the bed. Took me 10 minutes to find it. Small frustration, but at this price point, you expect intuitive design.
The Bathroom: Beautiful but Impractical
Marble floors. Heated towel rack. A deep soaking tub with a view through a glass partition into the bedroom (and beyond to the city). The rain shower has excellent pressure — I measured roughly 8 litres per minute at a comfortable temperature.
Downsides: the toilet is in a separate water closet with a sliding door that sticks. The sink counter is barely big enough for a toothbrush case and a small toiletry bag. For two people sharing, this gets cramped fast.
Bed and Linens
Shangri-La uses their own brand of mattresses — firm but with a plush topper. 300-thread-count sheets, not the 600+ you’d expect at this tier. They’re comfortable, but the Four Seasons in London uses 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton. Small detail, noticeable if you care about textiles.
The pillows are the real win. Four per bed, two soft and two medium-firm. I slept through both nights without waking once. That alone justifies a chunk of the price for me.
Ting Restaurant: Breakfast That Costs £45 — Should You Bother?
Ting is the hotel’s main restaurant on level 35. I ate breakfast there both mornings and dinner one night. Here’s the breakdown.
| Meal | Cost | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Continental breakfast buffet | £45 per person | Good, not great. Pastries are fresh. Fruit selection is basic — melon, pineapple, grapes. No exotic options. |
| Full English breakfast (a la carte) | £32 | Excellent. The black pudding is from Bury Market. Eggs cooked perfectly to order. Bacon is thick-cut back bacon, not streaky. |
| Dinner: starter + main + dessert | £95 per person (without wine) | Overpriced. The ribeye (£48) was cooked medium-rare as requested but arrived lukewarm. The chocolate fondant (£16) was the highlight — perfectly molten centre. |
Skip dinner at Ting. Walk to Borough Market (10 minutes on foot) or book a table at Hutong, the Chinese restaurant on level 33 of The Shard. Better food, similar price, better atmosphere.
Breakfast is worth it if you value the view while you eat. The buffet alone won’t impress you. But sitting 35 floors up with coffee and a pastry while London wakes up? That’s the experience you’re paying for.
The Pool and Gym: Surprisingly Underwhelming
The indoor pool is 18 metres long. Not lap-swimming length, but fine for a few lengths. Water temperature at 28°C — warm enough to be comfortable, cool enough to feel refreshing. The problem is the ceiling. It’s low. You can see the underside of the floor above. No natural light. The view? A wall of frosted glass.
The gym has five treadmills, three cross-trainers, a rowing machine, and a small free-weight area with dumbbells up to 25kg. It’s clean and functional. But for a hotel that markets itself as world-class, the fitness facilities feel like an afterthought.
Compare this to the pool at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (20-metre pool with a skylight and garden views) or the spa at the Corinthia (thermal floor, steam rooms, ice fountain). The Shangri-La’s wellness offering is adequate. Nothing more.
GONG Bar: The Best Reason to Stay Here
GONG sits on level 52. It’s the highest bar in London. You can access it without being a hotel guest — but staying at the hotel means you can go up at 10 AM when it’s empty, or at midnight when the crowds thin out.
The cocktail list is built around tea-infused spirits. The “Smoky Earl Grey” — gin infused with Earl Grey tea, honey, lemon, and a rosemary smoke bubble — costs £24. It’s genuinely excellent. Balanced, aromatic, not too sweet.
Pro tip: book a window table at sunset. The bar takes reservations for hotel guests 48 hours in advance. Call the concierge the moment you check in. I didn’t, and I ended up at the bar counter. Still a great view, but the window tables are the real prize.
Wine by the glass starts at £18. A bottle of Champagne starts at £95. This is not a budget bar. But for a single cocktail with a view that makes you feel like you’re floating above the city, it’s worth every penny.
Service: Inconsistent at This Price Point
Check-in was smooth. A staff member escorted me to the room, explained the controls, and offered to unpack my suitcase (I declined). The concierge arranged a last-minute dinner reservation at a nearby restaurant within 10 minutes. That’s excellent.
But housekeeping forgot to replace the coffee capsules on day two. I called down, and they arrived within 15 minutes — but I shouldn’t have had to call. At £850 a night, turndown service should include checking the coffee supply.
The doormen are the standout team. Friendly, efficient, remembered my name after one interaction. The front desk staff are professional but cold. One interaction — asking for a late checkout — was handled with a curt “That will be £100” without any explanation or apology for the charge.
Service at this level should feel effortless. At the Shangri-La, it’s good but not seamless. The Ritz London does this better. The Connaught does this better. For the price, you should expect perfection, not “pretty good.”
Who Should Stay Here (and Who Should Skip It)
Book the Shangri-La The Shard if:
- You want a once-in-a-lifetime view of London from your bedroom window
- You’re celebrating something — anniversary, birthday, proposal
- You value location above all else (London Bridge station is a 3-minute walk)
- You plan to spend most of your time in the room or at GONG bar
Skip it and book elsewhere if:
- You care about pool and spa facilities — go to the Corinthia or Mandarin Oriental
- You want traditional London luxury with old-world service — book The Connaught or Claridge’s
- You’re on a budget that makes this a stretch — the experience is good, but not life-changing
- You prefer a hotel with a neighbourhood feel — the Shard area is busy, touristy, and lacks charm after dark
The Final Verdict: Is It Worth the Splurge?
For one night, yes. For two nights, probably not. The view is genuinely unforgettable — I’ll remember sitting in that window seat watching the sunset for years. The bed is comfortable, GONG bar is world-class, and the location is unbeatable for exploring central London.
But at £850 per night, the small flaws add up. The bathroom is cramped. The pool is underwhelming. The service has cracks. You’re paying a premium for the address and the height, not for holistic luxury.
If you have the money and want the experience, book one night on a clear day, have a cocktail at GONG at sunset, eat breakfast at Ting, and leave feeling satisfied. That’s the sweet spot. Anything more, and the diminishing returns start to hurt.
One night, clear day, sunset at GONG, breakfast at Ting, then check out happy.