My son was excited. Very excited.

We were going to London, we were staying the night, we were seeing the sights.

And we were making the visit at the time that still meant central London was not as busy as a more normal weekend trip to the capital would be.

We – me, my wife and daughter (10) and excited son (7) – were staying at the Citadines Holborn-Covent Garden, a great central spot for exploring from.

But before dropping our bags off we packed in a whistlestop tour of a handful of the sites. Big Ben was a big hit despite the scaffolding.

There was some discussion over whether the giant River Thames could possibly be the same Thames that's near our house but only 6ft wide (it is).

We strolled down an eerily-quiet Whitehall and pressed our noses through the gates at Downing Street, although the boy was more interested in the machine-gun toting police officers.

Then to the National Gallery to work out which Van Gogh we liked best – a split decision between Sunflowers and Two Crabs.

That was enough for now so we headed to the hotel. It's in a great location in High Holburn, just 10 minutes' walk from the shops and restaurants of Covent Garden but tucked away so you're not in the thick of it.

It's marketed a apartment hotel and our room came complete with a small kitchen (there's a Waitrose opposite to stock up on any essentials).

The room was spot on for our needs. A good-size double room for us and a sofabed for the children. The bathroom had a good shower and there was a separate toilet, complete with a never-before-seen innovation that saw the tap flow into and fill the cistern – both green and a space saver.

We were in the city to see the sights, so didn't spend a huge amount of time in the hotel, but for solo or business travellers, it offers high-speed wi-fi, gym, Chromecast in the rooms, baby facilities and weekly maid service.

For a fee there's also breakfast, self-service laundry, private and secure parking, extra cleaning service, laundry, dry cleaning and ironing service.

So all bases covered whether it's the sights or the office you're here for.

After dropping our bags we headed to the Tower of London – a great family day out and worth setting aside a few hours for to get the best of it. Of course, there's great stories all around the Tower and lots to see but our fave was a very close pass by a raven – you don't get that every day.

Then the Uber boat back to Embankment – brilliant to travel down the river and a big hit with the children.

We ate at Cafe Murano in Covent Garden – reasonably-priced and really tasty and worked well for a family.

Then back to the hotel for some well-earned rest. After checkout on Sunday, we headed to Dishoom for breakfast – the only time I've had spicy mince and chicken livers for breakfast but a memorable one. We had time for Buckingham Palace, a walk through Hyde Park and the Science Museum, then home.

We had a great weekend and the hotel was a great spot to be based for our explorations.

It has a range of options from studio rooms to one-bed apartments. For more information or to book, click here.

Where: Citadines Holborn-Covent Garden, High Holborn

What: Apart-Hotel with gym, meeting rooms and more well placed within walking distance of central London.

Price: From £129 per night upwards