Location, location, location... this estate agent's mantra makes equal sense with boutique hotels. A gargantuan hotel in a benighted suburb can redeem itself with a good pool or casino, say, depending on your taste. But in the small, sophisticated operation, you'll need to stretch your legs, take a wander outside.
In terms of location, the Halkin, which stands on a quiet street in Belgravia, holds all the cards. With its fancy shops and embassies, Belgravia pitches itself mid-way between glamour and intrigue. In fact, the whole area, from its handsome pubs to designer shops, conspires in conjuring up some sort of dream London, as if dressed up for a visiting American camera crew.
The hotel is in keeping with the surroundings, a collaboration between old-world elegance and hi-tech. It might have a Georgian-style façade, but the staff are kitted out in Giorgio Armani. Upstairs, minimalism reigns. In fact, at first glance, it's not that easy to identify where the corridor walls end and the doors to the rooms begin. It looks good, but once drink is taken, it's not always so easy to find your way back to bed.
The rooms cleverly make the most of their size - plenty of features, but in no way cluttered, the decor is pitched midway between business and pleasure. So, you get your personalised fax and your multiple phone lines - just in case you decide to run for high office at the last minute, perhaps - while the elegant marble bathroom is packed with Bulgari toiletries.
Food provides the hotel's chief draw, courtesy of its restaurant. Nahm, London's only Michelin-starred Thai restaurant, was opened last July to a host of celebratory reviews, and one or two cat-calls. The huge differences in opinion are explained, in part, by chef David Thompson's extreme approach. He talks of Thai food's 'interplay of textures, flavours and seasonings' which can translate into up to 20 ingredients being used in a single dish.
Stick to the set menu, and you will be talked through the combinations of duck and monkfish and coconut. Too much chilli for my taste, but it did the job as an 'event meal'. The sort of food which, as the different flavours play themselves out, makes you want to lie down - if you find your room.
· The Halkin, 5 Halkin Street, London (020 7333 1000) from £346, breakfast £19. Various set menus are available at lunch for £18-£25.
