Not so long ago, a weekday visit to the City after 8pm was the antithesis of the London experience. The streets would be lifeless, with just a few pin-striped stragglers heading home. Weekends were worse – more like a post-apocalyptic vision of a cit
y than the UK's financial engine.
Things have changed as developers' money has poured into the surrounding East End, with the likes of Hoxton, just on the edge of the City, now uppermost in the trend stakes. Which makes a weekend based in the Square Mile an increasingly attractive option.
Threadneedles is, appropriately enough, a former banking hall, and from the minute you enter the lobby to be faced with a dazzling stained-glass dome, you are swaddled in high-end luxury consistent with a boutique hotel that has been voted one of the top 50 hottest hotels in the world.
How do I get there? Find your way on to the Tube, head for Bank and take exit 3. The hotel is 200 metres up Threadneedle Street on your right.
What's the food like? Bonds Restaurant offers a modern French menu, including the likes of ravioli of blue lobster, slow-cooked belly of pork and butter-roasted Aberdeenshire salmon. The adjacent Bonds Bar serves its range of 34 cocktails in high style over the original cashier's counter.
Bed test The rooms are stylish, comfortable and brimming with mod cons, including Wi-Fi and iPod docking station. Our suite was so luxurious it was tempting not leave it.
Out and about There's plenty of historical and architectural interest in the area, such as St Paul's, the Tower of London and the Gherkin. The rejuvenated markets of Spitalfields, Petticoat Lane, Borough and Brick Lane are all within easy reach and, of course, with Bank Tube just up the road, London is really your oyster. The Royal Exchange, next door, has more than 40 boutiques and stores to tempt you.
Little extras From 24-hour room service to a ticket-booking facility and complimentary shoe shine, your wish is the hotel's command. A nice touch is the honesty bar in the foyer, allowing residents to help themselves in the wee hours.
The bottom line Doubles start at £194 per night, including breakfast, but check the hotel's website for special offers.
The full article contains 395 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
