The Rubens at the Palace ★★★★

Naturally, I took my own prince consort along with me, and we were welcomed at the lobby with a tip of the top hat from a smiling doorman. Friendly and attentive, no demand is too much for the capable concierge, and – as native Londoners – we tested their select recommendations, which were infallible. The services too, are exceptional. The hotel accommodates furry friends: few hotels of this calibre in the capital are pet-friendly, though here at The Rubens, your pet receives a welcome hamper upon arrival and a turndown treat each night. There is also an extensive pet concierge with a variety of services including grooming, treats, and birthday celebrations. In a country where the family Labrador is preferred to the eldest child, The Rubens shows an exemplary attention to detail to make their two-legged and four-legged guests from near and far at home in the hotel.

All the rooms vary enormously in decor, though each one boasts quality hardwood furniture, opulent soft furnishings, and homely comforts including coffee making facilities, and customisable heating and air-conditioning. Our room was – thankfully, as some of the rooms and suites can be over-the-top – was stylishly decorated in robin’s-egg blue. With a mirrored wall behind the bed, the room feels large, though we are informed by other guests that this isn’t the case throughout, the rooms are as varied in size as they are in style. Each room comes equipped with high-speed Wi-Fi, as well as an in-room entertainment system on the flat-screen TV. While he settled into our comfortable seating area and got on with some work, I continued to explore our room’s numerous amenities. The bathrooms are generously equipped with complimentary toiletries and his and hers matching slippers.

The typical English weather put paid to our plans to stroll through St James’s Park, so instead we enjoyed another English tradition: afternoon tea. Ensconced in deep leather tub chairs in the Cavalry Bar & Palace Lounge, we tucked into a variety of cakes, sandwiches and scones – white chocolate and lavender! – and observed the wide range of well-heeled guests doing the same. When the drizzle finally let up, we waddled out of the lounge, full and giggly after a couple of flutes of champagne, to walk off our indulgent afternoon snack. The hotel really is in an unrivalled destination for first-time visitors to the city, just minutes’ walk from Buckingham Palace, and a short walk to the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. It’s also conveniently located for public transport to the City, if business is the order of the day.

Having stretched our legs, we returned to The Rubens laden with shopping bags, and after a long soak in our deep bathtub, returned downstairs to The Library Restaurant. The Rubens boasts two restaurants and one further bar, and all are sophisticated, elegant destinations to enjoy a delicious meal. The Carvery offers a variety of breakfast buffet options, in a lively, animated atmosphere, and, though painfully kitsch, the Leopard Champagne & Cocktail Bar is an intimate spot for pre-theatre drinks. For our evening meal, though, we sought something a bit more ambitious; The Library Restaurant is cosy and opulent, with large, wing-back armchairs and historic sports memorabilia in display cases on the walls. Staff are attentive but unobtrusive, and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal there, comfortable in the knowledge that when sated, all we had to do was retreat to our palatial quarters upstairs.