Shangri-La at The Shard, London - 21st-23rd November 2023
WHERE IS THE SHANGRI-LA? This beautiful hotel occupies floors 34-52 of The Shard, right next to London Bridge train station and is visible from much of the city.
WHAT LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN THERE AND WHAT'S THE CURRENCY? In London, the official language is English and the British pound is the currency.
3 INTERESTING FACTS: 1) The Shard is the tallest building in the UK and western Europe at over 300 metres tall. 2) 95% of the materials used to construct the Shard are recycled. 3) The lift moves at a speed of 6 seconds per second.
HOW TO GET THERE? London Bridge train station is very easy to get to from London Gatwick Airport and anywhere on the London underground.
WHAT DID I DO AND WHAT DID I THINK? I wanted to include my stay here in case others are thinking about visiting but also because this trip was where I reflected how I wanted to make the following year memorable and celebrate reaching this birthday milestone. I was keen to stay in a 5 star hotel and whilst there're many fabulous hotels like The Dorchester and The Savoy in London, I'm more of a contemporary kinda person and I've seen The Shard countless times. This is a VERY special hotel! I walked into my room with a message written on the window (see below) and birthday cake! On another day, I was met with chocolate-covered strawberries! This is apparently very common where the hotel goes to lengths to make celebrations even more special. As with all the rooms, I entered my room on that first night, put my card key in the slot and the blinds automatically rose revealing London in front of me. Oh my word. It was magical. I don't know whether they put me on the 50th floor with it being my 50th birthday but if they did, that was a nice touch! The doormen were wonderful and everyone working there was so attentive. It was an amazing couple of days seeing Mary Poppins and The Lion King in the West End. I ambled around London taking in Leicester Square, Carnaby Street, Canary Wharf and visited shops like Liberty, Harrods and Fortnum & Mason. It's so expensive but I wanted to really treat myself.
Would I go again? Yes, totally...but I'll need to save up! I'd love to share this with my husband who couldn't come but this is a fabulous hotel and they just make you feel a little bit special.
