Katherine MacAlister and family head to London for a busy weekend organised by the children

Never in a million years would I have chosen to go on the London Eye on a Saturday afternoon when it was so crammed with tourists you could scarcely breath.

Neither would I have ventured anywhere near Planet Hollywood to eat steak, China Town to try seaweed at a rotating table, or Shaftesbury Avenue waiting for Matilda the Musical to start.

But that’s kids for you.

They take you right out of your comfort zone and force you to try all manner of new things.

The blow was cushioned somewhat by the offer of a night at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in Belgravia, in a family room, arriving via the Oxford Tube at Marble Arch just after lunch on Saturday.

Suitably impressed, our junior suite rendered even my seven-year-old speechless, which was quite something.

It also provided the perfect retreat from the busy streets of London’s top tourist destinations, so that when things got too much we could retire to the tree-lined sunny streets of Knightsbridge and a bit of calm.

With a schedule busier than Cameron’s spin doctors to maintain, sadly there was little time to spare to admire the fantastic views from our room, the toiletries in the opulent bathroom or bounce on the bed and reluctantly we had to leave the spacious hotel suite, whose clever use of the sofa bed for the kids still left us lots of room.

Being so central, we walked everywhere from The Jumeirah, starting off with the usual tourist spots – the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, then off to the London Eye where we queued for ages, despite booking a place, but once whisked up into the air, those amazing views stretching out before us, made us forget all the hustle and bustle instantly.

Calmer when we landed, we strolled up the South Bank, taking in a comedy festival and fairground rides en route, before wandering onto one of the sunlit boats moored alongside the Thames where we enjoyed a cold drink while watching all the river activity.

And then we were off again, this time to China Town where we watched the fantastic array of metallic human statues keeping the kids entertained while we chose a restaurant.

They all looked pretty much the same, but after eating our own body weight in crispy Peking duck, the night darkened and we made our way back to the Jumeirah, brightening up on the way when we remembered where we were staying.

And it was lovely to retire somewhere so comfortable, where every need had been taken care of, the staff were charming and nothing was too much trouble, sleep not being a problem after such a busy day.

Getting up was even easier, with the prospect of breakfast to lure us.

Being some of the first ones downstairs, (that’s kids for you) meant we had the breakfast buffet to ourselves and dined out on the fresh fruit, pastries, yoghurts and full English, pancakes, waffles... shall I stop?

Suffice to say the kids were in heaven.

We then took in the V&A, where we saw the new Shoe exhibition and caught the end of the Alexander McQueen retrospective (which has now sadly finished), Mr Greedy sensibly staying in the foyer reading the paper while we whirled excitedly around gazing in in awe at all the footwear and fashion, lapping it all up, before emerging blinking into the sunlight again and finding ourselves inexplicably hungry.

Planet Hollywood was the request.

I had never been, accidentally on purpose.

But this wasn’t my weekend, it was theirs and the kids wanted everything on the menu.

They filled up on enormous milkshakes, burgers and pizzas while staring at all the celebrity paraphernalia and screenings of classic films from Terminator to Back to The Future.

The whole of the top floor was rammed with foreign students, and we were lucky to get a table, to give you an idea of its continuing popularity.

And finally, the long walk up Shaftesbury Avenue to see Matilda The Musical.

It was a wonderful adaption of Roald Dahl’s classic book, and much less scary than the film, we were relieved to find.

Having left all our luggage at the hotel, we wondered slowly back, admiring the supercars and multi-million pound houses en route before finding the Jumeirah, our own little parcel of temporary luxury.

It was hard to leave, even though our bus was waiting just round the corner.

But that weekend will stay with us for ever, a reminder never to get stuck in your ways and always try new places, however old you are.

FACT FILE
Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Cadogan Place, London SW1X 9PY

Room prices from £289. The URBAN RETREAT package includes champagne, The Peak Health Club & Spa and breakfast for a £30 supplement. 020 7235 1234. www.jumeirah.com/en/hotelsresorts/london/jumeirah-carlton-tower