Katie Bond finds attractions galore – and a des res to die for – on a weekend break in London

We often take for granted that one of the greatest cities on the land is just over an hour away on the M4 – provided the traffic is kind to you.

Booking a stay in London can be overwhelming to say the least. A quick search for hotels in the capital on Google pulls up more than 1,860 hotels. So it's best to have an area in mind before you book. And I'd highly recommend Kensington. It may cost a cool £3m for a small apartment in one of the many elegant mansions in Courtfield a Gardens, but a stay at the Nadler is both affordable and impressive.

Located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, west London, it's an easy drive from Swindon, avoiding both the congestion charge and the nightmare of driving in the heart of the city. The hotel also has parking availability at a reasonable price in the mews to the rear. However, travelling by train and tube would be just as convenient because Earl's Court tube station is just a three-minute walk away.

The Nadler describes itself as a 65-room, affordable luxury boutique hotel. It's not often you'll find the words 'boutique' and 'affordable' in one sentence but the Nadler has nailed it.

The reception area is both grand and modern, with comfy leather sofas and floor-to-ceiling shelving stacked with leather-bound books.

Our room was on the fourth floor and included a convenient and concealed kitchenette. A pleasant surprise, which made sense when staff explained there was no kitchen on site to serve breakfast, but there was an option to order breakfast in from one of the hotel’s many partner restaurants in the vicinity.

We decided against this option and ventured out for breakfast, lunch and dinner and sampled some of the venues in Earl's Court.

Our room was a decent size for a small London hotel, and the neutral tones were complemented with faux fur throws on the bed and a marble bathroom. Gel-filled eye masks, mini bottles of Bellinis, a variety of speciality tea leaves, slippers and biscuits were just some of the much appreciated items in our room hamper. Wi-fi and a television with several helpful guides to the local area, plus restaurant vouchers were also provided.

The staff at the hotel were attentive and helpful, and reception provides additional toiletries, including a rubber duck for the bath, if you so fancy.

It's easy to get almost anywhere your mood takes you from Earl's Court, but we opted for shopping on Oxford Street (just 18 minutes to Marble Arch) and a trip on the London Eye ( 20 minutes to Waterloo), before a whistlestop tour of the Tate Modern and a walk over the Millennium Bridge to St Paul's Cathedral.

The London Eye, which now has an accompanying 4D cinematic experience which you can enjoy before or after you 'fly' (and it's free) is well worth a visit. It's the best way to truly appreciate the many, many attractions London has to offer. Plus, it's proving to be a popular place for wedding proposals as we found out when one man in our pod popped the question.

It's easy to spend a day walking along Embankment as we found out after our London Eye experience. The Oxo Tower, the Tate, ITV studios, London Dungeon – the list is endless and there really is something for everyone.

If you don't want to travel far by tube, or you're watching the pennies, Kensington Palace and Gardens, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Albert Hall are all near the hotel. You definitely won't get bored.

I'd highly recommend the Nadler to anyone opting for a weekend break in the capital - it's classy, affordable and right on the doorstep of everything you could possibly want.

 Katie stayed at The Nadler in Courtfield Gardens, Kensington, where one night starts from £98. See the nadler.com
 The London Eye costs from £19.35 when booked online, or beat the queues with a fast track ticket from £26.96