He then took the reins at training and joked there could be a public holiday in his honour.
One of the hotel rooms has been turned into a virtual shrine for the 1.71m flyer that has delighted rugby fans across the world with his ability to evade defenders.
However after a career that has netted 59 tries in 90 Tests for Wales and the British and Irish Lions, the last thing the 34-year-old wanted was for his teammates to be distracted by his emotional farewell at a packed Millennium Stadium this weekend.
"It is not Shane Williams versus Australia, it is Wales,'' he said.
"I don't want my final game to cloud that.
"We just want to go out and play well.''
However the career of the diminutive winger with the magical feet is worth retelling.
After all, he was considered too small during the early part of his professional career for international rugby, having weighed just over 70 kilograms on debut 11 years ago.
In 2002, he tried to silence his critics by bulking up.
"It backfired and it resulted in me being injured and when I played, I felt I was too heavy and cumbersome and lost form and did not get selected for Wales,'' he said.
"I thought then, I can't please everyone.
"I have to go about working on my strengths and be the player I want to be ... and I have not looked back.''
An integral part of Wales' Grand Slam winning sides of 2005 and 2008, 80 of his 90 Test caps followed his 26th birthday.
"I have played my own brand of rugby and it has not always worked,'' he said.
"It has not always come off but that is the way I am.''
Williams expected to shed a tear following his last hurrah.
"That is the worst bit. I do get emotional some times but I am not someone who wants to cry in front of millions of people to be honest to you,'' he said.
"I am not going to be all macho and say that I never cry ... the fact I will have my kids and my family at the ground it is going to be emotional.
"I am going to end up crying I think.''
- AAP
