The Shangri-La at the Shard gives views of London as never before

CITY views, a champagne bar and 52nd-floor infinity pool are among the drawcards of the Shangri-La London.

Guest bedroom at the Shangri-La Hotel, at the Shard, London

ONE of the most anticipated hotel openings in London has been beset by numerous delays and false starts.

However, when the Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard, London, to give it its full title, opens early next month, it will give Londoners a view of their city they have long waited for.

The tallest hotel in western Europe and the first high-rise hotel in London occupies levels 34 to 52 of the glass Shard on the South Bank of the Thames, offering breathtaking views in all directions.

Because of the Shard’s spiral shape, each of the 202 guestrooms and suites has an individual layout and design. Ranging in size from 30-188sqm, the rooms are among the largest in London. All feature floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the hotel’s 306m height. The deluxe, premier and grand premier rooms and suites face north to the city while the superior rooms and suites offer vistas of suburban South London towards Kent, Surrey and Sussex. The most stunning views — of St Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and down the river to the O2 Arena — are reserved for the hotel’s three signature suites, which are set to open in September. The pinnacle is reached in the Shangri-La suite, on level 39, which provides 180-degree views of London stretching from the Houses of Parliament to Canary Wharf.

Inside, the contemporary design complements Renzo Piano’s soaring architecture. Bathrooms are marble-clad with heated floors, have Japanese-style electronic toilets with heated seats, mirrors with integrated televisions and Aqua di Parma toiletries.

Among food and beverage options, Gong on level 52, designed by Hong Kong’s Andre Fu, will be London’s highest and probably most exclusive bar.

This level also includes a small gym and an 11m infinity pool. On level 35, Emil Minev is executive chef at the signature restaurant, Ting, while a ground-floor deli called Lang should prove popular with passing commuters.

Cocoon in the sky
AIR France has adapted the Zodiac Aerospace Cirrus seat used by Cathay Pacific and American Airlines to deliver a fully flat-bed experience in all 44 of its boeing 777 long-range fleet over the next two years. Each seat, with direct aisle access for every passenger, is in topstitched leather and is dressed with a doona and feather-down pillow. The seat was refined with the help of Mark Collins’s Design Investment, which also developed the airline’s new premium economy seat. The first upgraded aircraft with the new “cocoon in the sky”, as Air France dubs it, flies between Paris and New York in June. Each seat back has a 41cm high-definition screen.

Crossing through history
NEXT year, Cunard will celebrate its 175th anniversary and as part of the cruise line’s birthday festivities it will recreate the crossing of the Atlantic by its first ship, the Britannia. On July 4, 1840, the Britannia set sail from Liverpool and reached New York a fortnight later. Next year, when the flagship of the Cunard line, the Queen Mary 2, leaves Liverpool to repeat the crossing, it will be the first time since 1968 that a Cunard ship has departed from Liverpool bound for the US. The 10-night crossing will call at Halifax and Boston - just as Britannia did - before arriving in New York on July 14. Next year also marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Cunard ship the Lusitania by a German torpedo on May 7. A special seven-night cruise on the Queen Victoria will commemorate the loss of the Lusitania. cunardline.com.au

Lakeside lunching

ROBERT Marchetti, creative food director for QT Hotels, has created a concept restaurant for the new QT Canberra, which is due to open this month. The combination of fine wine and bistro favourites with an Italian twist sounds like perfect fare for the power lunches of pollies and public servants. The new hotel has been created in the historic Lakeside hotel, scene of many political deals and long lunches over the years. QT will also offer several private hideaways with fully stocked bars and bar snack menus for people wanting to relax after a long day. QT Canberra joins the portfolio of QT hotels in Sydney, Gold Coast, Port Douglas and Falls Creek. qthotels.