Review of Royal Park Hotel, by Nadia Latif

The Royal Park's location near Paddington Station isn't the most obvious place for a petite boutique hotel with oodles of charm. Its mainly corporate clientele are pretty spoiled here; there's a distinct lack of the generic, neutral palette that marks out so many business hotels in London.

Tucked away from the main street, the Royal Park provides some ten parking spaces for its guests - a great plus in the big city. Hyde Park is just a stroll away and Heathrow Airport is a 15-minute train ride.

Owing to its small size, this Grade II-listed building has minimal facilities. What is there however, captures regal, English style perfectly. The reception area, with its huge fireplace and cabinet full of vintage cognac, leads off onto two events rooms well-beloved by its business-orientated guests.

They mood very 'Heritage' - duck-egg blue walls, hunting prints and polished wood. The front room is filled to the rafters with a mismatch of armchairs and sofas, for coffees and teas, whilst the designated meeting room is positioned towards the back.

The 48 elegantly decorated rooms and suites are spacious, airy and furnished in sumptuous fabrics. Each has been individually styled with period pieces and original oil paintings. The beds themselves are queen-sized at least, gorgeously soft with Italian cotton bedding. Despite the Royal Park's Victoriana decor, the rooms are (subtly) decked out with all mod-cons, including complimentary high-speed internet and flat-screen televisions.