Meet the Hotelier - The Shard
Craig Hough talks to Kurt Macher, General Manager at Shangri-La Hotel, at The Shard, London
The Shangri-La Hotel is situated in the heart of Londonβs business district, which is often accused of looking very cold and corporate. How did you make the hotel feel cosy and welcoming?
While the hotelβs location in a modern glass skyscraper means we have beautiful views across London, the lack of mixed-use high-rises in the city can sometimes lead people to mistakenly assume the building is comprised of offices. While there are offices in the building, there are a number of great restaurants located here and Shangri-La Hotel, At The Shard, London is actually the buildingβs largest occupier, spanning floors 34 β 52. Within the hotel, weβre able to combine local culture with the Groupβs Asian heritage and beautiful, colourful decorations and theming to ensure our local and international guests feel theyβre in a welcoming environment.
Your hotel is incredibly inviting to families, with destination-themed rooms on offer for families. What made you come up with the concept and what can guests expect from each themed room?
Our βEscapism Inspirationβ room packages were inspired by the travel experiences we thought our guests might miss during a time where international travel was very uncertain. We wanted to create a multisensory experience that transported guests to their favourite destination, from the comfort of their hotel room for a staycation like no other. To do this, we partnered with Londonβs premier proposal and event planning company The Proposers, who transform each room with props and decorations to suit the theme β from choices of βA Night in Parisβ, βSafari Extravaganzaβ, βBeach Retreatβ and more. Each room will also be prepared with a bespoke playlist, scent and food and beverage offering inspired by the chosen destination. Weβre also working to develop some new creative concepts so watch this space!
Are there other specific bespoke services (like the βEscapism Inspirationβ rooms) you offer that shows you go the extra mile for your guests?
The team and I really pride ourselves on going the extra mile for guests and have a number of bespoke services to ensure authentic and personal moments of joy for our guests. We have implemented a wide range of services from large initiatives such as βThe Suite Lifeβ programme which includes a tiered array of exclusive benefits which can be customised to suit the individual guestβs preferences, down to smaller thoughtful touches such as the hotelβs bath butler who organises a luxurious bath experience in individual guest rooms.
How do you personalise each stay for your guests?
If our guest relations team knows that a guest is celebrating a special occasion, weβre able to organise βsurprise and delightβ moments throughout their stay to ensure it is extra special. From well wishes written on the window of the guest room through to personalised amenities, we try to think outside of the box so that the guest experience is truly personaland memorable.
Any personal favourite guests?
I have a soft spot for our visiting families and feel really blessed that these guests choose to spend their special moments at our hotel. Itβs important to me that the whole family - from our littlest to most mature guests β enjoy a personalised experience that appeals to their interests. We really love to see our families return again and again to relive their βShangri-La momentβ and hope we can share these moments with many generations to come.
What was the most unusual request you have had from a guest and how did you fulfil their wishes?
Just about anything is possible when there is time to plan it! On one occasion, we helped to fulfil a young guestβs wish to be a princess for a day. We went all out and organised a horse and carriage and princess actresses to accompany our special guest for an afternoon tea experience fit for royalty.
The Shard is such a modern London landmark and a great place for couples to propose. How many proposals have you had at the venue since you opened, and can you tell us about any that stand out to you?
I think the Shard holds a special place in many peopleβs hearts, and the hotelβs popularity as a proposal destination is a real testament to this. When the hotel reopened for the first time last August, we were privileged to host 35 proposals in 2 days which was a record weekend for us. Although many proposals do take place at the hotel, weβre able to tailor each one to the individual couple so the experience is totally unique and sentimental. A trend Iβve seen and love is couples who want to recreate their first holiday for their proposal, and so The Proposers step in to bring this memory to life. Some examples I have seen include a beautiful Cappadocia setup with miniature hot air balloons everywhere and a tropical Mykonos proposal too.
As this is our celebration issue, what other big celebration events have you held at the venue?
We havenβt been able to host big celebrations since the beginning of 2020 but interestingly have seen more weddings than ever over the past year, however they have been smaller in line with government guidelines. Couples have been choosing to splurge on luxurious but intimate weddings which will allow them to have their dream celebration in the current climate. Prior to this, we were renowned for hosting extravagant New Yearβs Eve events with incredible views of Londonβs fireworks so weβre hoping weβll be able to bring this tradition back in 2021, when we all have a good reason to celebrate.
The Shangri-La Hotel recently featured on BBCβs Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond The Lobby. How did the team enjoy the experience?
We were thrilled to have the documentary filmed at the hotel and the team felt really proud to work here when the programme aired. Weβve actually hosted many different film productions at the hotel ranging from scenes for movies and music videos to live television programmes.
Last year, when the pandemic hit the UK, the hotel closed its door for the first time. What was the effect on the staff and business?
Since the first hotel closure last year, weβve had to adapt to the new market conditions and learn to be flexible and agile, while thinking outside of the box to create unique experiences for guests in what has become the βnew normalβ. We took the opportunity during each lockdown to really hone our strategy and adapt to the evolving situation.
With hospitality now open again, what is The Shangri-La Hotel looking forward to for the rest of the year?
Above all else, weβre looking forward to welcoming our guests and hotel team back. We hoteliers chose to work in this industry because of our passion for hospitality and taking care of others β itβs in our DNA and weβre so looking forward to returning to doing what we love.
Shangri-La The Shard, London, 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9QU United Kingdom
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