You have to book a slot to swim in the Sky Pool. It is free for hotel guests, but it is not walk-up: the hotel says a slot is required for both the pool and the Sky Sauna, requested either when you book the room or from the team when you arrive. People turn up expecting to wander in with a towel.
The pool sits 52 floors up and the hotel calls it the highest in London and Western Europe. We read its own pages on 13 October 2026.
The hours split by age
Adults have the pool from 6am to 6pm. Children swim only between 9am and 11am, and again between 3pm and 5pm. Both of those windows sit inside the adult hours, so the pool is never children-only, but outside them it is adults only.
The 6pm close is the thing to plan around. A pool that shuts at six is no use after dinner or a late afternoon of sightseeing, which is when most people imagine using it. The Sky Sauna keeps the same 6am to 6pm hours. Only the Sky Gym runs 24 hours.
The spa
Treatment rooms offer ELEMIS facials and massages, alongside manicures, pedicures and hairdressing. The hotel publishes a spa brochure and takes bookings separately from the pool. It does not publish treatment prices on the page itself.
Where it is in the building
31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU. The hotel starts on level 34 and spans 18 floors of the Shard, which puts the pool near the top of the occupied height. London Bridge station is directly below.
The free shuttle nobody mentions
The hotel runs a complimentary shopping shuttle to Oxford Street. For a hotel at London Bridge that is worth knowing, and it appears only in a facilities list rather than anywhere prominent. Other listed services include a 24 hour concierge, butler service in suites, a house doctor on call, in-room spa treatments, a foreign exchange counter and a London black taxi service.
All rooms and suites are non-smoking, and parking is listed as a paid facility without a rate.
What is still not published anywhere: check-in and check-out times, children’s policies beyond the pool windows, pets and cancellation terms. Babysitting and child care are offered, along with special menus for children, but no age rules. For a room in this building, confirm all of them at booking.
Shangri-La The Shard, London
- Address
- 31 St Thomas Street, London SE1 9QU, starting on level 34 and spanning 18 floors of the Shard
- Nearest
- London Bridge
- Hours
- Infinity Sky Pool 6am to 6pm for adults, with children’s swimming 9am to 11am and 3pm to 5pm. Sky Sauna 6am to 6pm. Sky Gym 24 hours
- Booking
- A slot must be booked for the Sky Pool and Sky Sauna, requested during the room booking or from the team on arrival. Spa treatments are booked separately. A complimentary shopping shuttle runs to Oxford Street
- Price
- Pool and sauna are free for hotel guests. Spa treatment prices and parking rates are not published
- Standing
- A hotel occupying 18 floors of the Shard from level 34, with the highest swimming pool in London and Western Europe at 52 floors up, a sky sauna, a 24 hour gym and an ELEMIS spa
How to get in
The Sky Pool cannot be used without a booked slot even though it is free to guests. Adults swim 6am to 6pm and children only from 9am to 11am and 3pm to 5pm. Check-in times, pet and cancellation policies are not published
Where to go next
The Sky Pool at Embassy Gardens is the one you cannot swim in at all, and the Pan Pacific runs comparable children’s swimming windows.
The Shard covers the viewing gallery in the same building, and rooftop bars the rest of the view.
Questions we get asked
Do you need to book the Shangri-La Sky Pool?
Yes. A slot is required for both the Sky Pool and the Sky Sauna. There is no cost for hotel guests, and slots can be requested when booking the room or from the team on arrival.
What are the Sky Pool hours at the Shangri-La?
6am to 6pm for adults. Children can swim from 9am to 11am and from 3pm to 5pm, both inside the adult hours. The Sky Sauna keeps the same 6am to 6pm hours and the gym is open 24 hours.
Can children use the Shangri-La Sky Pool?
Yes, during the children's swimming times of 9am to 11am and 3pm to 5pm. Outside those windows the pool is for adults.
How high is the Shangri-La Sky Pool?
52 floors up. The hotel describes it as the highest swimming pool in London and Western Europe.
Which floors of the Shard is the Shangri-La on?
It starts on level 34 and spans 18 floors, at 31 St Thomas Street, SE1 9QU, directly above London Bridge station.
Does the Shangri-La run a shuttle?
Yes, a complimentary shopping shuttle to Oxford Street. The hotel also lists a London black taxi service and a limousine service.
Is there a spa at the Shangri-La The Shard?
Yes, with ELEMIS facials and massages plus manicures, pedicures and hairdressing. Treatments are booked separately from the pool, and prices are not published on the hotel's wellness page.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 466 in the guide.
Last checked 13 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
