ALTHOUGH I appreciate the relevance and value of guest services guides in hotel rooms, I’m not usually one for spending precious moments leafing attentively through them.

But I was rather distracted, and amused, by several pages of rather nifty, and ingenious, room-based exercises in the info-laden leather-bound tome at The Rubens.

I worked up a sweat wondering exactly how many circuits of the exquisitely refurbished room I could muster before collapsing in heaps of laughter on the crisp Egyptian cotton sheets.

If only I’d limited my scoffing to the literature and not the mouth-watering choice and generous portions of food!

Afternoon tea was a real treat in a charming setting and one I would highly recommend; it’s as if we’d returned to the days when debutantes would gossip under the rich canopy of the stylish turn-of-the-century grandeur.

Its elegant surroundings were complemented perfectly by the courteous staff. And if the recession is hitting the profit margins of plush London hotels, it has either bypassed The Rubens or they’re very good at masking it.

There was no hint of compromise on service or standards which so many hotels fall foul of.

Little touches which make all the difference were still in abundance. The pianist was stationed at his keyboard, the breakfast offering was delicious and plentiful, tasty nibbles with drinks were in ready supply, a twice-daily maid service should you so wish, deluxe toiletries, the list goes on and on.

The Rubens offers 143 guest rooms, eight royal rooms and 10 luxurious suites.

The four-star hotel’s enviable location – it’s sandwiched between Buckingham Palace and Victoria station and overlooks The Royal Mews – should be enough to encourage anyone outside but, in all honesty, I was perfectly happy to while away hour after contented hour relaxing in the inviting lounge.

If I needed exercise, I could always refer to the in-house guide!

Fact file

The Rubens at the Palace, 39 Buckingham Palace Road, London
SW1W 0PS. Tel: 020 7834 6600.

Email: inforb@rchmail.com

Reservations: Bookrb@rchmail.com

Rooms from £245 per room/per night

Special packages are on offer for stays of two nights or more. See

http://www.rubenshotel.com/offers-and-gifts/details/get-more-from-your-stay3
for details of more deals and full terms and conditions.