One-night wonder: London's Charing Cross

Oh the glamour of the railways. No, not the delayed 08.05 to Watford Junction. The Victorian era of puffing steam trains, liveried porters and leather trunks, and men running down platforms as pristine white hankies are waved through windows. There's something both poignant and exciting about train stations, all those greetings and goodbyes, journeys starting and ending. Think of 'Brief Encounter', 'Shanghai Express', 'Strangers on a Train' - even 'Some Like It Hot'!

If you're planning a trip to London and fancy a bit of old-world glamour, stay in the ornate Grade II listed Charing Cross hotel, built over Charing Cross station in 1865. Outside it may be all noisy taxis and busy commuters, but once you step inside the glass entrance and sweep up the grand Victorian staircase you're given a glimpse of that elegant style. It's an impressive building with high ceilings and sweeping windows, so all very light and spacious.

And you couldn't be more centrally placed in London. Charing Cross got its name from the cross erected between the former hamlet of Charing and the entrance to the Palace of Whitehall in 1291 by King Edward as a memorial to his wife Eleanor. The original position of the cross is recognised as the centre of London for the purpose of measuring road distances. A replica cross still stands in front of the hotel.

What to do

Walk! It's perfectly placed for some of London's best attractions, so pack some flat shoes and get some air as you sightsee. On the corner of Trafalgar Square, have a photo taken with a lion on a plinth, visit the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, (both free). Around the corner there's Leicester Square and the entrance to Chinatown - we stopped off at Jen's café on the corner of Newport Place, a brilliant little dim sum place that's relaxed and informal, prepare to share tables and enjoy great food at low prices. A girl was making dumplings in the window when we got there - nice and fresh then!

Back on the Strand which runs past the hotel, head towards Covent Garden with all its shops, bars and restaurants, and pop into the London Transport Museum to brush up on your transport history (admission charge).  We had an early evening drink at Chez Gerard's which is upstairs in the main marketplace, lovely for a stylish dinner but it was the cocktail prices that attracted us: £6.95 for a delicious gin martini, amazingly good for this part of town.

The Strand is also home to many of the city's best theatres, including the Lyceum (The Lion King), Adelphi ('Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat') and the Aldwych ('Dirty Dancing'). Heading east, stop off to admire the stunning courtyard of Somerset House, or visit one of the building's art galleries (admission charge). Carry on through Aldwych, into Fleet St and down to St Paul's Cathedral.

Cross over the Millennium bridge to the Tate Modern gallery (free) and Shakespeare's Globe theatre and walk back along the South Bank with great river views - stop off at the Oxo Tower for a drink with a view. Catch a film at the National Film Theatre or a show in the National Theatre or Royal Festival Hall. Both venues often have free gigs in the foyer so it's worth popping in for a look.

Then either cross the bridge back to Embankment and into the back of Charing Cross station, or take a detour down along the river to the London Eye, cross Westminster Bridge, past Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, up Whitehall and Downing St and back home to Trafalgar Square.

Or, if you want more railway glamour, hop on the underground to St Pancras station and enjoy some fizz at the longest champagne bar in Europe, with a vast selection of lovely bubbly available by the glass, by the bottle or in cocktails. Yum!

Where to eat

The walk was a great way to work up an appetite, and we ate in the hotel that night. The dining room is housed in a wonderful first-floor conservatory overlooking the Strand, so you have a bird's-eye view while remaining relatively unnoticed from the street below. The set dinner menu had good vegetarian and fish options, a hearty vegetable soup was welcome on a cold winter night, scallops were juicy and plump and came with pork belly on a pea purée; for mains it was roast turkey and a vegetarian pie with avocado, and to finish sticky toffee and Christmas puddings.

If you decide not to eat in the hotel there's no shortage of dinner options obviously, and breakfast is served in the conservatory so you won't miss out on the chance to enjoy the view.

Accommodation

Getting ready for bed that night it felt exciting to be in the heart of the city; from the window I could see the lit-up vista of the beautiful National Gallery and the twinkling lights of the BT Tower, further along a jazz musician played a lonely sax.

Rooms in the Charing Cross are not huge but well equipped - upgrade to a junior suite and enjoy your own sitting-room area. Lots of large mirrors in the room open up the space, there are good working facilities with two dressing tables/ desk spaces and toiletries are Elemis, a nice touch.

Because of all the walking I could pass on the gym, but there is a small one downstairs if I needed it, open only to hotel guests; it's got all the equipment and was nice and quiet when I popped my head in the next morning. Stepping back out into the bustle I wished I could get on a train and wave a hankie. But instead I headed for the office.

Find out more

Stay at Charing Cross from £149 per room per night excluding VAT. Price is subject to availability, terms and conditions apply, see the website for details. To make a booking visit www.guoman.com/charing-cross or contact the reservations office on 0871 376 9012.

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