Review of Le Regina, by Mary Lussiana

Alongside the Andrassy in Budapest, the Riverside in Prague and the new Riva in Hvar, Croatia, the Hotel Le Regina comes from the elegant stable of the Orco Group. The first 'small luxury hotel of the world' in Poland, it will delight the connoisseur. Housed in a palace dating from the 18th-century, it offers a unique opportunity to stay within the walls of Warsaw's famous Old Town.

The 61 rooms and 3 suites look onto leafy courtyards, beautiful church domes or neighbouring palaces. An air of monastic tranquillity pervades, accentuated by the heavy, wooden doors and the gentle fountain in the central courtyard. Arrive at night, if you can, when the façade is floodlit and burning torches guard the door casting their dancing shadows on the cobbled street.

Individually designed rooms and suites cater to all tastes from the funky, bold, modern designs of the startlingly white Penthouse suite to the more peaceful browns and vanillas of the standard rooms where wooden floors and Italian hand-made furniture ensure a conservative elegance. Some rooms have sloping attic ceilings, others outside terraces.

For the business client, free high speed wifi internet connection and cordless telephones in all rooms de-stress. For the aesthetes, hand-painted frescoes of antique floral patterns on the walls and minimalist luxury in the bathrooms, complete with double basins and Venetian mosaics, should satisfy - along with the unobtrusive flat screen tvs.

Beds are huge with generous duvets which together with the utter silence - few cars are allowed in the old town - guarantee a good night's sleep. Fitness enthusiasts have a workout room and a stunning Roman style swimming pool.

The Hotel Le Regina is situated in the most beautiful part of the City just by the New Town, which together with the Old Town was so painstakingly rebuilt after the destruction of the 2nd World War. Full of cafes and galleries, restaurants and museums, it is a perfect base for a visitor.