Shangri-La The Shard, London

Character and identity

Occupying floors 34 to 52 of Renzo Piano's glass spire on the South Bank, this 202-room hotel trades on altitude and panorama. Arrival means a lift ride to the Sky Lobby; everything that follows looks out through floor-to-ceiling glass. Interiors lean opulent and a touch generic, with silks and marble in blue and beige tones, but the windows do the talking. GŎNG, on the 52nd floor, is the highest bar in London, paired with the Skypool's St. Paul's-facing lengths and Ting's European cooking with Asian inflections. Service is polished and discreet, with butlers attached to the 17 suites.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The view is the product, and almost everything else is in service of it, so book the right room or the premium falls flat. Splash out on a Premier Shard or Iconic City View corner for multiple windows and the Tate Modern and Globe panorama, time arrival for sunset from GŎNG, and treat this as a special-occasion stay rather than a workhorse London base.