From London's Savoy to the Las Vegas Hilton - James Bond is no stranger to luxurious hotel living.

And he would have had no problem at all fitting in at London's Plaza on the River.

So much so that the Plaza is offering a deluxe 'Bond package' to coincide with the release of Casino Royale.

The Bond treatment started immediately, as my partner and I were greeted with a glass of Champagne at the check-in desk.

And then it was up to our suite which was nothing if not impressive - perhaps more minimalistically stylish than out-and-out opulent.

The table was already set for us - replete with toy Walther PP9 and roulette chips strewn about. While this might seem like an odd touch for such a classy place, it helped remind us that this is essentially an experience of slightly tongue-in-cheek fun.

Our entourage for the dinner portion of the evening then arrived.

While our chef prepared our starters, our barman took us through the procedure for the perfect vodka martini - just for the record, he concurred with Bond that they should always be shaken not stirred, as this affects the taste of the vodka.

This touch is well worth it as these were the best vodka martinis that I had ever tasted.

And then it was on to dinner, which was, in short, amazing. From the starter of smoked salmon blinis through to the dessert selection, there was absolutely nothing that could be faulted about the food.

Special mention should also go to our butler for the evening, Pavel.

It has to be said that the whole concept of having a butler is nothing if not a little strange at first. However, I've read more than a few PG Wodehouse stories in my time and soon got used to it. Pavel is to be commended for managing the trick of being incredibly attentive while simultaneously melting into the background when his services were not required.

With dinner over, we went downstairs to find a car and driver waiting for us and, before we knew it, we were coasting through the streets of London in the luxury of a top-end Jaguar before being dropped off at The Colony Club in the heart of the West End.

Now, casinos are an acquired taste. It has to be said that having never really been into the whole gambling thing, I have always found them a little awkward and slightly overpowering.

However, the Colony Club is a world away from the neon and noise of most modern casinos and has an air of really rather retro 1970s kitsch to it. This in itself helped to increase the Bond vibe - although I would say we were now definitely in Live and Let Die Roger Moore-era camp, rather than vintage Dr No-era Connery cool.

We did our best to overcome our gambling unease and played the tables for a while, but ultimately the vinyl and shag pile vibe of the place proved too much and we were thankfully chauffered back to the Plaza.

A quick cocktail in the bar and we then retired to polish off the rest of the Champagne left over from dinner. The perfect end to what was certainly a very memorable evening.

While it's certainly not cheap, it is an amazing experience and if you've ever wanted to be Bond, it certainly delivers the goods.

Unfortunately, you have to supply your own diabolical mastermind intent on taking over the world...