Somewhere to stay: myhotel Bloomsbury

'Chim-chiminee, chim-chiminee, chim-chim-cheroo... Good luck will rub off when I shake hands with you' chorused my friend Annie and I as we sat on our roof terrace amid the chimney-pots, accessed from our top-floor room. We'd just agreed that our rooftop location was very reminiscent of the chimney-sweeps' dance routine in 'Mary Poppins', so we couldn't resist a sing-song as we clinked our wine glasses, enjoying the late-afternoon sun.

What's the hotel like?

It's a four-star hotel housed in a row of brick-built Georgian terraced townhouses, with 78 rooms, each individually decorated with an eclectic mix of traditional and modern furnishings, with quirky decorative touches. (We loved our giant wineglass!)

The reception staff are seated behind a long table, rather than barricaded behind an imposing desk, and are casually friendly rather than aloof. The ambiance is comfortable and casual.

What are the bedrooms like?

We're comfortably installed in 'myplace' 2, one of two penthouse rooms at myhotel, accessed via a twisting staircase from the fourth floor.

Opening our door, the bed was straight ahead, with a cosy little sofa and coffee table to the left, at right angles to the wall-mounted flatscreen TV. This angling would have made it hard to watch TV from the sofa; if I'd been staying longer I would have moved it, but we were very happy to sit up in bed watching late-night nonsense while chatting.

I'm incredibly light-sensitive in bed, so I was happy to see the double layer of blinds - rust fabric and wooden Venetian - on every window and the door to the roof terrace.

On one side of the bed was an Art Deco style chest of drawers with a two-feet-tall wineglass filled with a dried-flower arrangement. We considered emptying these and drinking our wine out of it but thought better of it!

On the other side of the bed is the door to the roof terrace, next to a desk with an Apple Mac and a potted orchid - fresh flowers are always a lovely touch, and so is the free wi-fi.

A set of shelves houses the kettle, mugs, tea and coffee, and bottled water.

The wardrobe is spacious, and includes an ironing board.

How's the bed?

Thankfully wide, as we were sharing a double! It's backed by dark-wood panelling, with twin bedside lamps and a rust-coloured throw, so much more practical than the white ones hotels often use at the foot of the bed! The bedlinen is fine Egyptian cotton, the pillows are pleasantly plump, and the mattress is soft on teh surface and supportive underneath.

What's in the bathroom?

White-and-grey veined marble tiles clad the walls. Natural light, a three-angled mirror and one of those scarily magnifying mirrors give a clear view of your face and hair. The toiletries are by Anyah, and have indulgent taglines such as 'Your silkiness' (body scrub) and 'your restitution' (shampoo). The in-bath shower is easy to use and pleasantly powerful, and there's a set of digital scales. And there are robes and slippers which we lounge around in after dinner.

What about eating and drinking?

On the ground floor is Gail's Kitchen, open for brunch, lunch and dinner, with a contemporary European menu. We admired its contemporary styling as we selected our table: one by the window for a spot of people-watching. Bare, rough wood and wirework chairs combine with funky lampshades. We tucked in to our breakfast of yogurt and granola, toasted sourdough bread, pain au chocolat, croissant, butter and jam, with tea for Annie and coffee for me. Unfortunately (not!), Annie has to leave earlier than me, so I scoffed her pain au chocolat and took her sourdough toast to have for lunch - it was so tangy and good I couldn't resist it.

Anything else?

We were incredibly lucky weather-wise, so sitting out on the roof terrace with its wooden decking, large potted shrubs and olive trees was the first thing we did when we arrived. We shared a bottle of wine in the sun and caught up on each other's news. The terrace is shared with the other penthouse, so there are two table and chair sets, but no partitions so it feels relaxingly open.

There are two other myhotel branches, in Chelsea and Brighton.

What's nearby?

The nearest Tube stations are Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street and Russell Square, and the mainline rail stations of King's Cross, Euston and St Pancras International are within easy reach. This hotel makes a great base for a London break. The West End is on your doorstep, with all of its shopping, dining and nights out possibilities and the British Museum is so close it's realistic to pop in even for 15 minutes - no visual fatigue for us! We found our way to contemporary Japanese prints by Noda Tetsuya (until October 4), scenes of everyday life in muted tones.

Find out more

myhotel Bloomsbury is at 11-13 Bayley Street, Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HD (020 3004 6000; bloomsbury@myhotels.com), or visit www.myhotels.com/my-hotel-bloomsbury. Rates for a standard double start at £129 based on two people sharing, breakfast not included.

The City Closet package includes two nights' overnight stay, with breakfast on both days, plus a complimentary lunch or dinner on one of the days, along with a VIP pass entitling guests to up to 20% off at participating stores in Westfield London Shopping Centre. Prices start at £360 based on two people sharing.

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