WHEN we were given champagne for the wait in reception my best friend and I looked at each other with a disbelieving grin – it was confirmation we were in for a special stay, writes Beren Cross.

The disjointed, lengthy journey to the Meliã White House in London was a story in itself, but our reaction to the quality of the hotel, plus the way we were warmly received, made the hassle worth it.

Chris, the aforementioned best friend, and I were in the capital for the night’s boxing extravaganza at Wembley, where Carl Froch and Swindon-trained George Groves were finally going to settle their differences.

We had booked train tickets in advance, so the hour-long journey was made even easier, with seat reservations and a place to sit together for our first drinks of the day (well, it was a lads’ trip and alcohol in the afternoon is compulsory).

As we rolled into London I began to put a plan into action. Chris has never been to London before (shocking, I know), so I wanted to make it extra special for him.

Meliã lists its address as Albany Street in Regent’s Park, which made our chosen destination on the London Underground obvious, or so you would think. Regent’s Park Tube is just four stops down from Paddington, but I managed to convince Chris I was desperate to see the sights on the South Bank of the Thames, despite having seen them a million times before.

He was a reluctant tourist, who failed to see the logic in traipsing halfway across the city with huge bags, when the hotel was on the way. But we sat tight on the Bakerloo line and rode all the way to Waterloo, where I’d convinced the London debutant we would find somewhere picturesque to sit down and enjoy a few drinks in the sun.

As his sports holdall cut into his shoulder he grew more and more frustrated as I passed by several suitable resting points, but he would soon understand my pickiness and desire to press on eastward toward one of the city’s most iconic attractions.

Depressed and frustrated, he dropped back a few metres behind me, but caught sight of me having a few words with the staff at the London Eye.

Trying to keep a straight face, I then asked Chris if he fancied a ride. He was beaming.

We were well-treated by the staff at the EDF Energy-sponsored ferris wheel. We’d been given access to the fast-track queue available to those willing to spend a little more on their experience. Joined by 10 to 15 others, we were taken on a 30-minute tour of London – the perfect way to show Chris the sheer magnitude of the city.

With Chris spoilt, it was time for his second surprise and we jumped back on to the Underground for the return trip north to Regent’s Park and the comforts of the Meliã.

It is not a striking hotel from the outside. A display of international flags looks fairly impressive, but other than that there is little to make the hotel stand out.

But our first indication this hotel was a cut above any of the modest establishments us northern lads had ever stayed in before was when the porter held the door open for us. The second was when, as guests of one of the hotel’s executive rooms, called The Level, we were handed champagne. That is when our jaws began to drop.

What our room lacked in space, it made up for it with quality.

A shimmering en-suite with a mixture of black and gold felt almost too special to use and the twin beds swallowed our tired bodies whole when we finally dropped our bags.

After a flick through the extensive room service menu we both went for a fillet steak. It was honestly the best meal we had ever eaten, we had no hesitation agreeing on that.

With our glad rags on for the boxing, we headed down to The Level Lounge – another perk for those staying in the executive suites.

There are complimentary snacks, meals and drinks available in this exclusive lounge throughout the day. We may have been pressed for time but we still managed a little tapas and a few iced lagers.

Our tight schedule stopped us from making the most of all the facilities on offer at the Meliã, which was disappointing. There is a 24-hour gym and two restaurants, in addition to The Level Lounge.

It was a wrench to actually leave the hotel for the boxing and a pleasure to return, knowing we had those luxurious beds waiting for us.

 Beren Cross was
a guest of the four-star Meliã White House, Albany Street, London NW1 3UP. Rooms cost from £165, including breakfast and VAT, based on two people sharing a classic room. Call 020 7391 3000 or go to www.melia-whitehouse.com.
Rotations on the London Eye cost from £17.96 (online) for adults and £12.60 for children aged 4-15. Go to www.londoneye.com to book.
For more ideas, go to visitlondon.com