Katherine MacAlister lives dangerously with a weekend stay at London’s Hyatt Regency Churchill Hotel

Dangerous was the word we used to describe the Hyatt Regency Churchill in London when checking out on Sunday morning.

Dangerously central. Dangerously close to Selfridges and Oxford Street beyond. Everywhere was accessible and walkable – Soho, Regent St, Carnaby St. Anything was possible.

Arriving on Saturday night, it's only five minutes from Marylebone by taxi and thanks to the new under-an-hour rail link Oxford Parkway, despite leaving at 7.30pm we had time to check in and hot foot it off to Carrigans in Mayfair for dinner.

It was a special occasion and the birthday girl appreciated the quince and champagne cocktail served by David in his white DJ , the lobster, truffles, soufflés and pork belly that we ate. It was a wonderfully classy evening amid the elegant tinklings of this fine dining restaurant.

We arrived back in suitable time to appreciate our fantastic room with its big comfy beds and light, crisp luxury duvets.

The reason we were here, apart from its central location, was because The Churchill has had a massive makeover, transforming it into an elegant and contemporary hotel with a stylish nod to the past.

Breakfast in the vast dining room set us up for a busy day in the shops as chefs beavered away in the open plan kitchen while we ate from the wonderful selection of fruits, pastries, breads, cheeses and salads that accompany the usual trappings of the full English.

Carnaby Street was our first port of call where everything is on tap. Its funky boutiques are eons away from the rough thoroughfares of yesteryear. But there are also shops which boast services unique to this part of London, Benefit, the make up brand, for example has its own salon where we were primped and polished within an inch of our lives before emerging gleaming and ready for the day ahead, leaving us all day to browse, shop , eat walk and chat - an untold luxury.

Laden down with bags of clothes shoes, and trainers we staggered into Senor Ceviche upstairs in the charming Kingly Court food hall, entirely unaware of what was on offer. Cerviche is a Peruvian tapas. We ordered three dishes each, enjoying some pisco sours and were blown away by the colour, zest and imagination of the food and drink. What a find. What a discovery.

Winding our way home took hours. Not because it was far but because we kept getting waylaid by the dazzling windows of Liberty and Selfridges and of course the people watching, only arriving back in the wonderful sanctity of The Churchill in time to change for dinner. But first the The Churchill Bar & Terrace where the mixologists concocted us some extraordinary creations. The award winning Breakfast In Blenheim’s bloody mary came with a strip of bacon, a sausage and a quails egg and featured baked bean juice and marmite. Other cocktails were smoked in front of us and the Prim And Pepper came with Casamigos Blanco freshly ground, homemade black pepper syrup, the freshness of red pepper juice, a touch of lime and Cajun salt to add a smoky touch round the rim. Ready to face the world it was with reluctance that we left the hallowed halls of The Churchill and forced ourselves out into the real world again . But soon perched at the bar in Brandisa’s new Soho restaurant, which you can’t book, and waited for a table with a coffee martini.

A table by the kitchens was found and a wondered election of tapas began appearing. Giant olives stuffed with lemon, tiny pequillo peppers, braised ox cheeks, cheesy croquettes, spinach with pine nuts and sultanas, and of course ham accompanied by several bottles of red wine, and the night passed as quickly as the previous one.

Then onto Old Compton Street where late is their motto. With the Oxford Tube running 24/7 friends could make their way home whenever, and walking home after dropping them at the bus stop at Marble Arch in the early hours we marvelled at London’s accessibility.

So yes, dangerous is how I would describe the Churchill for all the right reasons. A doyenne of the London hotel scene and rightly so.

  • ENTICING ACCOMMODATION PACKAGES
  • AT HYATT REGENCY LONDON – THE CHURCHILL
  • 30 Portman Square, London, England, W1H 7BH
  • 020 7486 5800
  • london.churchill.hyatt.com
  • Churchill Commemorative Stay package is valid on Friday and Saturday nights from £370 per night.
  • Stylish Celebration package starts at £420 per night.
  • Explore London package starts at £395 per room, per night.