Shangri-La Bengaluru

Amid, the Horizon lounge manager, was professional, welcoming, and a pleasure to deal with. The lounge itself has a lovely city view, and the roof top bar staff, including Darahan and Gargana, were lovely too. I found the open, very windy rooftop uncomfortable on a cold Bengaluru night, especially with the music so loud when there were only 10-20 guests. The senior managers listened to feedback and seemed open to improvements, though I still need to see whether anything changes. I’m hesitant to return and may choose The Oberoi or Leela Palace for a more consistent hospitality experience. Check-in was pleasant, but I missed having the Horizon lounge or in-room check-in, and there were no amenities for a status customer. The pool is a beautiful 25 meters, but it was quite cold because the heating had reportedly been broken for months, according to a gym member. Yoga by the pool costs extra. The jacuzzi was nice but much too hot at 45 degrees, while the sauna and steam room were beautiful. The yoga teacher and some guests ignored the no-mobile-phone rule in that area. At the ground-floor breakfast restaurant, the Western dishes I tried, including homemade granola, Bircher, and scrambled egg, were basic and tasted poor. The service team seemed exhausted, unmotivated, and disorganized, with little courtesy or hospitality. The Indian food at lunch and dinner was better, though still not truly great.

I was there for three days, and the service, food, and interiors were all wonderful and outstanding. The General Manager personally looked after our function. The Coffee Shop team, banquet staff, chef, and other service staff really stood out, and housekeeping was great too. Keep it up!

I was there for three work nights. The staff were everywhere and always glad to help, and breakfast had a huge choice of local, Western, and Asian food. Lots of it was made to order, and the dosas are worth trying. The rooftop open-air restaurant has great views. The room was very large, with a desk, couch, and table, plus a separate bath and shower. They refreshed the plentiful bottled water daily, and there was a nice selection of fruit juice at check-in. Some things feel dated, though. The decor and fittings show their age, several light switches were worn and hard to use, and the roof restaurant felt like stepping into the 80s.

Mr Leonard was the bright spot as I left. He noticed me carrying bags, offered to help, and did it with a big smile and great courtesy. My experience with concierge Mr Vinay was the opposite. He was very rude when we asked for floor access to meet a work client. He was on the phone, and when we politely asked him to hurry because our client, who was getting married at the property, needed to get ready and was already running late, he snapped, “I’m taking work calls, not my personal calls.” I was shocked by that response. I’ve often visited Team Shangrila and eaten at your cafe and Japanese restaurant, but I won’t be back as a customer any time soon. The lack of basic manners from staff was disappointing. Do better, Team Shangrila!