The Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill: A luxury retreat in the centre of London

In a city as ubiquitous as London, depicted countless times in TV, film and literature, it’s hard to imagine there’s anywhere left to explore.

Yet nestled between the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street and Regent’s Park, the quiet streets of Marylebone are teeming with things to discover.

My base for this exploration was The Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill, where one could feasibly spend an entire weekend without stepping outside and not get bored.

An unassuming building on the outside belies the marble-paradise within with floor to ceiling mirrors and flower arrangements to match. If you’re looking for opulence, look no further.

Tastes of beetroot at The Montagu Kitchen.

My room looks out over Portman Square and its private garden, complete with running track and tennis court, to which hotel guests have access.

There is luxury in abundance at the Churchill, and personalised touches at every turn - a whisky tasting experience awaits me in my room, a scotch with accompanying sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami tastes designed to engage all the senses, as well as a gold-leaf encrusted fruit plate.

The bed is enormous, wider than it is deep, and comfortable in that way that only hotel beds can be, a mattress to sink into like an inviting warm bath with marshmallow-like duvet to envelope you.

There are many restaurants in London to eat good food, and two of them are found inside The Churchill.

The first evening I dined at The Montagu Kitchen for the chef’s table experience, from which you can look straight into the kitchen and see head chef Carlo Martino and his team work to create feasts for the eyes and taste buds...

The restaurant is inspired by the year-round gardens at Chartwell, Sir Winston Churchill’s former private residence in Kent.

Everything from the menu to the chairs’ upholstery reflects the garden theme, a flower-covered bicycle greets guests at the restaurants entrance.

Carlo talks the table through the dishes, whilst the sommelier Michal explains the wine he’s chosen to pair with each course.

A dessert selection at Sunday Garden Brunch.

I’m vegan, which often makes fine dining off limits, but there are no such restrictions here, every plate is carefully thought out and filled with surprising morsels.

A starter of beetroot cooked in different ways plays with texture and a tangy, citrus dressing offsets the natural sweetness of the main ingredient perfectly.

My favourite course is an unctuous, creamy, squash risotto topped with crispy sage leaves and cubes of squash.