Hotel Cafe Royal, London 

An absolutely wonderful stay. We genuinely didn’t want to leave! We booked one night at Hotel Café Royal for our very first night away from our children, so it already felt like a pretty special occasion. Somehow, the hotel managed to make it even more memorable. We had booked a Deluxe Room but were incredibly lucky to be upgraded to a beautiful suite with dual-aspect views over both Piccadilly and Regent Street. The room was absolutely stunning. Sitting there watching London and the world go by beneath us was such a treat, and the people-watching the following morning was even better. There may have been one or two slightly worse-for-wear walks of shame making their way home, which gave us a good giggle over our morning coffee! Lucy checked us in and was absolutely fantastic. Our room wasn’t quite ready when we arrived and we were told they would call us as soon as it was. So often hotels say this and you end up chasing them, but they genuinely did call us, which was such a small but noticeable example of the level of service throughout our stay. When we got to the suite, there was a lovely bottle of wine and hazelnut chocolate waiting for us, which was such a thoughtful touch. The room itself was incredible: luxurious, beautifully designed, wonderfully comfortable and, frankly, so lovely that we really didn’t want to leave it! We had dinner at Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal that evening and it was an experience in itself. The tasting menu felt almost like a performance, with so much thought, precision and theatre going into every course. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and it made our one night away feel even more special. We popped into the Green Bar afterwards. It’s undoubtedly a very cool, trendy London bar, but probably the one part of the hotel that wasn’t quite for us. We had imagined something a little more intimate and cosy for a hotel bar. We didn’t feel there was quite as at home there or that we had experienced elsewhere in the hotel, and we found the chairs uncomfortable, so we didn’t stay for long. That said, I can absolutely see why it would appeal if you’re looking for more of a fashionable London cocktail-bar atmosphere. What really stood out throughout our stay, though, were the people. Every member of staff we encountered seemed genuinely happy to be there. Everyone smiled, said hello and made us feel welcome. A particular mention has to go to the housekeeping team, who were so bright and bubbly, always greeting us with huge smiles and such warmth. It sounds like a small thing, but it creates a wonderful atmosphere throughout a hotel. And finally, a special mention for the doorman from Fulham/Dartford, who was absolutely hilarious and had us laughing. What a character and such a lovely way to arrive at and leave the hotel. We were genuinely sad to check out. For our first ever night away from the children, we wanted somewhere that felt special, indulgent and memorable, and Hotel Café Royal absolutely delivered. We left saying that we wanted to come back tomorrow. If that isn’t the sign of a great hotel stay, I’m not sure what is. Thank you to Lucy and the entire team for making our little 24-hour escape so special. We will absolutely be back.