Not always known for their elevation, London’s luxury hotels may be high-end in style, but they’re positively low-rise compared to the towers further to the East.

Well, now, thanks to one of those Asian brands, London has the Pan Pacific, also the first for the brand in Europe. Of course Shangri-La The Shard has a towering structure that precedes this one, but Pan Pacific London has now deftly placed 237 rooms (including 43 suites) in a part of town that could surely well do with it: the City. Just steps from Liverpool Street, the hotel straddles the buzz of Shoreditch, the stylish shopping of Spitalfields and London’s high-flying financial district.

The 43-storey bronze tower also houses ultra-luxury Sky Residence apartments from levels 21 to 41 and forms the flagship of One Bishopsgate Plaza, a new square that is also home to the 144-year old Devonshire House.

Behind a listed facade is a space that will gradually fill up with designer shops, a restaurant and a cocktail bar designed by Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio, and between these buildings is a landscaped public plaza, which brings a pleasant new corner to the neighbourhood.

The hotel is a neighbourhood all of its own of course – afternoon teas by the wonderfully talented executive pastry chef Cherish Finden in The Orchid Lounge; flavours from Singapore and beyond in Straits Kitchen; and atmospheric cocktail bar Ginger Lily, with a champagne list from more than 200 houses, the largest list of by-the-glass bubbles in the City, as well as offering around 150 rums.

There’s also the incredible ballroom and function space; and one of the key highlights – a wellness floor. That includes an 18.5-metre infinity pool looking out over the plaza, relaxation pods, 24-hour high-performance gym, mindfulness studio, saunas, steam rooms, and lounge with nutritional menu curated by an in-house nutritionist.

All this has been steered by designer duo Yabu Pushelberg, who have brought great lightness of touch into the tower, nothing stabs you in the eye with too much contemporary wow, the design just gracefully guides you around.

This is particularly wonderfully executed in the signature Pan Pacific Suite, perched on the 19th floor with spectacular views of The Gherkin, and the place I was lucky enough to lay my head for a night.

Lights, different scenes and drapes can be seamlessly electronically controlled, but there also some lovely analogue touches such as a well-thought out library of books in the sleek office.

The lounge had space to entertain, with a huge comfy corner sofa, drinks trolley and dining table where any kind of Succession-type secret family meeting could be held; there’s also a butler’s pantry space. Of course, I had to make sure I squeezed in at least a couple of Zoom meetings from that dining table didn’t I, just so I could show people the room too? There was also a small selection of books on cats and dogs; which I assumed was a personalised choice laid out for an animal nut like me.

The bedroom was a gentle palette of silver and grey with pops of teal and beautiful pendant and side lamps, and I know it probably always seems like a cliché in a hotel review too, but the bed was genuinely massive and genuinely cloud-like and comfortable. With the black-out curtains swooshed closed and not a sound coming in, I was well and truly cocooned and slept beneath a beautiful wall mural of a soothing floral scene.

A Dyson hairdryer and straighteners (set up in a dedicated vanity area) caught my eye, as did the sleek marble of the bathroom, with its twin basins and corner views of the city, generous soaking tub and walk-in shower for two – not forgetting a giant built-in TV and a loo with a view.

But no matter the room you are in, all have custom headboards that act as personalised art pieces, adding a layer of calm through their depiction of oak, elder, elm and maple trees, and designs are all very soothing and neutral. I love that all rooms have plants in, to bring a burst of nature, whether a pot of squishy moss or a miniature tree.

And the ticks continue – as one of my favourite brands Diptyque supplies the bathroom amenities, and rooms also come complete with yoga mats and on-demand virtual yoga sessions. You can also request the innovative ChiliSleep Ooler Sleep Cooling System be placed in the room to aid better sleep via its temperature regulation.

If wellbeing is your thing, you’ve checked into the right place. There were lots of things happening in the fitness studio that went over my head – I’m usually more about the spa treatments and yoga – such as the D-Wall from TecnoBody, with many elements combining to make this one of the most technologically advanced facilities of any hotel gym in the UK.

Spa treatments infuse Western science and clinical research with south-east Asian traditions, while guests can also avail of an in-room “wellbeing experience” with a wide range of equipment possibilities and digital content.

You could sit for hours by the spectacular pool, and there is a mindfulness studio too. I also loved The Drawing Room, a dedicated space for rest and rejuvenation, with handcrafted heated relaxation loungers with weighted blankets (why did I not know about these before, I ask myself?). A soothing spot to go between treatments, there are also drinks and healthy snacks available in this lounge, which is also an option to relax in if guests need a spot prior to, or after, their main hotel check-in/out.

I love too that the hotel has baked in sustainability into its operations and guests’ experience, from eco-friendly in-room amenities to Cheeky Panda bamboo toilet paper and working alongside CleanConscience to ensure all partially used toiletries are repurposed and redistributed to those in need. The culinary team source 95% of ingredients locally within the UK, while chef uniforms are made from recycled plastic bottles by Chef Works.