I stayed at the Hempel for four nights on a business trip, and I thought it was superb. As the taxi pulled up to the doorway, it looked like an ordinary row of Georgian terraced houses. But looks are deceiving! The lobby, which is a study in cream, has many intimate little seating areas, and it was a great place to meet up with colleagues. The black-clad desk staff were efficient and pleasant.

My room which was very large, had pristene stone floors. I had a comfortable sofa opposite an ample bank of closets, with a built-in TV, stereo receiver and cd player.

The bed, which was fabulously comfortable, was in a smallish adjacent room, which had a generous window, which I could open to get a little breeze.

The large bathroom, which had plenty of shelf space for all my stuff, plus some small drawers, which I used to keep things of sight. The bathtub was very large and had a regular shower head, as well as a hand-held. It was set into a two foot wide black granite shelf, which was perfect for sitting upon and giving my tired feet a warm soak. There were many thick white bath towels, replenished twice daily and a white terry robe with a pair of beige espadrilles. And on the frosted glass windowsill was a lovely potted orchid with a small puck sized light over it. Zen.

Breakfast was served in the lower-level Thai restaurant, reached by descending an extraordinary glass slab staircase. The breakfast was good and cooked to order, served by a vey pleasant waiter.

One afternoon, I took a little stroll to the hotel's private garden across the street, which is very well-manicured and, dareI say it, zen!. Suddenly a waiter appeared with a tray of champagne flutes, and offered me one. I accepted and enjoyed it as I contemplated the garden. I believe I had unwittingly crashed a wedding reception, but was the first "guest" so no harm done. I thanked the waiter and left!

I booked though a corporate travel agent, so I got a deep discount on my room, which I believe added little to the enjoyment! It's a little walk to the bus stop or the tube and it's not very far from Paddington station. But the area is very quiet, and the walls don't seem to tranmit sounds.

I'd happily stay here again.