After the heaving hustle and bustle of Leicester Square it was a relief to walk into the oasis of the Hampshire Hotel lobby. Smartly dressed doormen greet guests with a warm smile and offer directions, left to the reception desk and right into the bar, which was buzzing on the Thursday night I visited. By contrast, the lobby was quiet, with three reception desk staff keen to check me in. After a friendly enquiry about my journey, offer to carry my small bag to my room and a nimble leap from one of the doormen to press the lift button for me, I’d got the message: “we’re here to help”.

Service in the restaurant that evening from our waiter Abi, was equally helpful, with swift delivery of the dishes and personal recommendations, without being too overbearing.

The design in the bar and restaurant, which merge into one another, is cool but casual - lounge chairs in leather, the odd oversized armchair in red crushed velvet and tea lights attractively placed in birdcages. The menu is equally informal – there’s a range of imaginative snacks, including wild boar and apple cocktail sausages with mustard and Portobello mushrooms on toast, as well as sandwiches, and a more substantial menu alongside it, listed in three courses. Dishes include pea and ham hock soup to start, beef burger and pork belly with mashed potato to follow, and rhubarb crumble to finish, all for around £26 without wine.

Our dishes (a steak and grilled calves liver, both with mashed potato) were hot, tasty and cooked as per our order, with fresh ingredients and colourful presentation. My only comment would be that a more imaginative menu would live up to the creative surroundings, and there should be more choice for vegetarians – there was only one non-meat or fish dish.

One Aldwych, London, WC2

Good, reasonably-priced food, but the spa treatments hurt the wallet, says Lucy Tobin of this central London hotel

The Strand Palace Hotel, London WC2

Good-value choice for theatregoers and even the Bolshoi have stayed, finds Tom Chesshyre

• Thistle Hotel, Charing Cross, London WC2

BACKGROUND

• Covent Garden Hotel, Monmouth St, London, WC2

• Radisson Edwardian Leicester Square, London WC2

• Radisson Edwardian Hampshire Hotel, Leicester Square, London, WC2

• Thistle Hotel, Charing Cross, London WC2

• The Waldorf Hilton, Aldwych, WC2

Related Internet Links

• More reviews of hotels in Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Holborn

Drinks are reasonably priced for this part of town – bottles of wine from £14 and cocktails from £7.50. The wine is also helpfully listed for non-wine buffs, under headings of light, medium and heavy.

Like the rest of the hotel, the lobby, bar and restaurant are softly lit with tasteful oriental décor and striking pieces of art and furniture. The large glass windows look onto Leicester Square and when the weather allows there’s al fresco drinking and dining.

The tasteful décor continues throughout and it was nice to see that thought had even gone into the corridors, with striking mirrors and pieces of art placed here and there, plus a tasteful carpet of tasteful toffee and beige swirls. Carpeting is not something I’d normally notice, but I also liked the one in the room – an elegant pattern in gold and cream.

My room, number 116, was a suite on the first floor, one of 22 in the hotel (there are a further 105 double, twin and king size rooms). It was huge, with adjoining lounge and dining room. Here the dark wood furniture matched the wardrobe and desk next door, and there was a second flat screen television. The best bit though were the unusual porthole windows overlooking Leicester Square – it was a surreal view looking onto one of London’s most famous plots.

Sound proofing was excellent – it’s hard to believe I had an undisturbed night’s sleep just one floor up in the heart of the West End.

When I checked into the hotel I’d just come from the British Museum, and wandering into the room the oriental arts, including bells, kimonos behind glass and wood carvings, looked like an extension of the museum’s exhibits. With this style also came substance – the five star recognition means the hotel must offer services such as in room tea and coffee, minibar, safe, iron and board, trouser pres, laundry and 24-hour room service.

There’s also free wireless internet access, which was simple to log onto and worked efficiently. The television included a library of CDs, charged at £2.99 an album, plus satellite channels, movies and radio.

The fawn and bronze marble bathroom had a separate bath and shower and large bottle of Gilchrist and Soames toiletries, rather than smaller takeaway bottles. In the bedroom the black and gold bedside tables with burnished mirror top matched the headboard, and the centrepiece was an unusual curved chaise longe (pictured above), and another curved feature window.

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