Hotel Review: St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, London

You can't beat this Kings Cross location for easy transport links across the country and beyond, with mainline services and Eurostar on the doorstep, as well as the rest of London with the convergence of several tube lines. The whole area has been recently regenerated, and there's a glut of bars, restaurants and shops nearby. Canalside Granary square is a five-minute walk away with fountains, tree-covered seating and a range of bars and restaurants.

By car: around 2 hours from Brighton, 2 hours 30 mins from Bristol and Birmingam, and 4 hours from Manchester. Paid on-site parking available.

By train: there are direct trains to St Pancras from Brighton (1 hour 15 minutes), Nottingham (1 hour 45 minutes) and Sheffield (2 hours 10 minutes). Book trains to London.

Behind the neo-Gothic façade that Sir George Gilbert Scott fashioned for the Midland Grand Hotel in 1873, the architectural splendour exemplifies high Victorian gothic design. Inside enjoy the glitz and glamour of the Victorian era with gothic revival metalwork, gold-leaf ceilings, hand-stencilled wall designs, and a grand staircase.

Check-in staff are full of local knowledge, suggesting a walk along the canal to Primrose Hill that would be hard to find in a guidebook. In the restaurant, the waiters will enthuse about the creative cocktails. Facilities include a subterranean spa with treatment rooms and a thermal suite.

• Bar
• Restaurant
• Spa
• Swimming pool
• Gym
• Terrace
• Pet-friendly
• Free Wi-Fi

The chamber suites have dramatic cathedral-high ceilings, fireplaces and floor-to-ceiling windows, while rooms in the modern Barlow House extension have a more mid-century feel to the furnishings, with gothic arched windows.

Room types: Deluxe, Superior, Premier rooms, Junior, Grand Junior, Sir John Betjeman, Sir George Gilbert Scott, Haywood, Grand Staircase, Queen Victoria, Royal suites

Key amenities: ensuite bathroom with shower, pillow top mattress, tea and coffee facilities, free Wi-Fi

Enjoy a crowd-pleasing menu in the exquisite Booking Office Restaurant with its ornate windows and palm trees. Tapas-style dishes can be nibbled if you are focusing on the cocktail menu, or you can go for a three-course meal of oysters and steak au poivre.

Booking Office 1869: modern European cuisine and sashimi. Open Tue-Sat 4pm-12am. Mains from £18.

Roof Garden St. Pancras: trendy, buzzing, BBQ and pizza. Open for dinner.