Hotel Review: Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar
When I was planning my trip to Mongolia,, I was surprised by how many luxury ger options there were, however, Ulaanbaatar itself is home to just one true five-star luxury hotel: Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar. With its central location, modern amenities, and connection to one of the city's premier shopping and dining complexes, the hotel naturally becomes a top choice for travelers looking for a comfortable base while exploring Mongolia's capital.
For my stay, I booked through the American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts program and used my platinum card so that I got $300 back after paying for my stay. This helped offset what would otherwise have felt like a particularly expensive stay. Even with that benefit, however, I found the hotel somewhat overpriced compared to the overall experience.
I stayed 2 nights at the Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar, before heading out on an overnight Terelj National Park tour.
Location
One of the Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar's strongest selling points is its location. Situated in the heart of the city, the hotel provides easy access to many of Ulaanbaatar's major shopping centers, government buildings, restaurants, and cultural sites. The attached Shangri-La Centre adds another layer of convenience, offering shopping, dining, and entertainment options without ever needing to step outside.
For first-time visitors to Mongolia, the location makes an excellent home base. Whether you're spending a few days exploring the capital before heading into the countryside or wrapping up an adventure through the Gobi Desert, the hotel puts you in the center of the action.
The Room: The King Deluxe
The guest rooms are comfortable, cozy, and well maintained. Everything worked as expected, and the accommodations provided a relaxing place to recharge after long days of sightseeing. As far as being wow’ed or blown away by the room - it was exactly as I expected a king hotel room to be. Nothing blew me away. It was very standard with a king size bed, a desk, a minibar, and a chaise lounge by the window.
The bathroom featured a stand alone marble shower and an oversized soaking tub. I definitely took advantage of the tub after a long day of walking which was lovely.
One aspect of the Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar that I didn't particularly enjoy was its reliance on the hotel app for various guest services. After spending the morning exploring the city, I returned to my room around noon and was surprised to find that housekeeping hadn't serviced it. It wasn't until later that I discovered guests are expected to request room cleaning through the hotel's app.
While I understand that many hotels are moving toward more technology-driven experiences, this wasn't explained during check-in, nor was it clearly communicated anywhere in the room. Technology can certainly make a stay more convenient, but in this case it felt like an extra step for something that most travelers still expect to happen automatically.
That said, there wasn't much about the property itself that stood out as particularly memorable. The hotel delivers the level of comfort and service you would expect from a Shangri-La property, but it lacked the distinctive touches or standout features that often justify the pricing.
Nothing was wrong with the hotel, but nothing left me especially impressed either. Something as simple as bath salts on the bathroom counter would’ve been a stand out feature.
Food & Dining
I will say that the Shangri-La kicked it out of the ballpark when it came to food, though. My drive from the airport took nearly 4 hours, so by the time I got into my room, I was exhausted from the day and ordered a room service pizza. It was massive and delicious and I thought it was priced incredibly fair. Along with that, I also thought that the mini bar prices were really fair, too, and had no reservations taking mini bar sodas.
In addition to that, the breakfast buffet was phenomenal. I’ve been really impressed with the last few hotel breakfast buffets that I’ve had, but this one truly is something to write home about. This was easily one of the most comprehensive and well-rounded buffets I've experienced.
The selection was extensive without feeling overwhelming, offering a thoughtful mix of Western favorites, Asian dishes, fresh fruit, pastries, made-to-order options, caviar and local specialties.
I especially enjoyed that they had both crispy and soft bacon, separated in the pan. My family loves crispy bacon and usually has to use the tongs to dig around to find those pieces.
My reservation included breakfast, which added significant value to the stay. But if your booking does not include it, I would strongly consider paying for the buffet. Both mornings I asked for an iced latte while at the table and one to go, with no issues.
One cool safety feature for women, I thought, was that you tapped your keycard to scan in for breakfast. Typically you just give your room number and I thought this was a great safety feature for anyone that is uncomfortable giving their room numbers out loud.
Amenities: Airport Transfer, Pool, Fitness Center
One of the more disappointing aspects of my stay involved the airport transportation arranged through the hotel. Prior to arrival, I booked the hotel's $100 "Limo Service" option. According to the hotel's website, this service includes a Ford SUV or similar vehicle equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, reading materials, bottled water, and an English-speaking driver.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the experience I received.
Instead of the advertised SUV, I was picked up in a Hyundai Starex van - the vehicle that was actually listed as the hotel's more expensive transportation option. The driver spoke little to no English, and none of the advertised amenities were available during the transfer. Most notably, there was no Wi-Fi, which had been one of the primary reasons I selected that particular service.
To be clear, the driver was courteous and got me safely to the hotel, but my frustration was with the fact that the service delivered did not match the service that had been advertised and booked. What surprised me even more was the hotel's response when I mentioned the discrepancy at check-in. I explained that the vehicle and amenities did not match what had been advertised online, and the concierge said “oh? okay.” Another one of the concierge staff members even walked outside to look at the vehicle I had arrived in.
There was no explanation, apology, or attempt to address the issue. The interaction left me with the impression that the hotel simply wasn't concerned about the mismatch between the advertised service and the service that had actually been provided. In the grand scheme, this wasn't a major problem but when you're paying luxury hotel prices, details matter. More importantly, how a hotel responds when something falls short of expectations often says as much about the property as the issue itself.
One unusual aspect of the property is that the gym and pool are not located within the main hotel building. Instead, they're housed in the separate Shangri-La Residences tower.
While this arrangement isn't necessarily a problem, finding the facilities turned out to be surprisingly frustrating. Signage leading to the gym was adequate, but once inside the residences tower, directions to the pool became virtually nonexistent. In fact, I never actually located the pool itself and was left wondering whether it was hidden somewhere within the fitness center.
Future guests should be aware of this setup before heading out for a swim. Because the facilities are located in a separate tower connected to a shopping complex, you likely won't want to walk over wearing only a bathrobe or swimsuit while trying to figure out where you're going.
Is Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar Worth It?
The Shangri-La Ulaanbaatar occupies a unique position in Mongolia's capital as the city's only true five-star luxury hotel. Its excellent location, comfortable accommodations, and exceptional breakfast buffet make it an easy recommendation for travelers seeking a dependable upscale experience.
At the same time, the property feels expensive for what it offers. Aside from the breakfast, few aspects of the stay felt truly exceptional, and certain details - such as the paid airport transfer service and confusing access to the recreational facilities - left room for improvement.
