THERE was an eerie silence as we came out of the underground station, crossed the road and walked briskly down the empty street to our hotel.

Yet just five minutes earlier we had been fighting our way against the tide of commuters at Waterloo station, all eager to get home on a Friday night. And now here we were in the centre of London walking down a road without a single person in sight.

We had arrived in the City of London; a part of the capital which comes to life Monday to Friday but is a virtual ghost town on a weekend. It is the perfect destination for a relaxing weekend away from the stresses and strains of life.

Our destination was Threadneedles – a five-star boutique hotel in the former Midland Bank headquarters.

In recent years it has been converted into a very smart hotel with modern fittings but it retains the grandeur of the original building.

The large wooden doors open up into an elegant lobby with an ornate stained glassed dome dating back to 1856 rising high above the contemporary seating area.

The Victorian banking hall has been sensitively converted into Bonds bar and restaurant. And it was here that we stopped off on Saturday evening to sample the hotel’s famous Threadneedles Street cocktail – Berkley Square gin infused with rosemary with apple juice, honey, lemon and a splash of Drambuie, it was so good we had to try another!

With 69 bedrooms including six suites, the service is everything you would expect from a five-star establishment and yet the staff all seem to go that bit further to ensure your stay is perfect.

Our suite was grand without being overly fussy with a modern bathroom complete with enormous bath and separate walk-in shower cubicle. In fact it was so comfortable that we indulged ourselves by ordering breakfast in our room.

My “New York” breakfast of waffles, crispy bacon, maple syrup, berries and pastries was out of this world. My husband’s more traditional English version was equally as delicious.

To walk off our rather large breakfasts we had a meander around the area and took in some of London’s most famous sights along the way. St Paul’s cathedral, the millennium bridge, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are all a stone’s throw from the hotel.

If you can’t resist a spot of shopping when in the capital, then One New Change is a new development packed with popular high street names and restaurants just a five minute walk from the City.

Located to the north of the financial district is Spitalfields market.

Although the actual market is closed on a Saturday, the area’s bars and restaurants are very much open and busy. So it was in this direction we headed in the evening to soak up a bit of East London’s famous hospitality. We decided against the more traditional jellied eels and opted for a decent steak and frites in a charming French bistro.

It was lovely at the end of the evening to stroll back to the peace and tranquility of our fabulous hotel and leave the hustle and bustle behind.

p Threadneedles, 5 Threadneedle Street,London, EC2R 8AY 020 7657 8080