THERE’S nothing like getting caught together in a sudden shower to add a little romance into your lives.

Not that Mrs M was probably feeling all that amorous as I gripped her in a bear hug against the railings of the Saachi Gallery in Chelsea in a vain attempt to keep at least one of us dry as the sudden shower pelted down on us both.

To the small crowd opposite sheltering under the colonnade of the building that was once the military headquarters of the Duke of York and is now the famous gallery of modern art, we must have looked a sodden sight. If I’d only been quickminded enough I could have past round the hat as an impromptu art creation: Man and wife caught in downpour without brolly.

The without a brolly bit was my own fault, something Mrs M was likely to remind me of. The doorman at the Jumeriah Lowndes Hotel had offered us the use of an umbrella as we set off for our pre-dinner amble through Belgravia, guide book in hand, but I had waved it away. Madness. This was London in late summer after all.

The Jumeriah Lowndes Hotel is well placed for an amble though some of the nicer parts of the capital, we were finding.

I guess that’s why they’re providing guests with a hand book of guided walks.

Although its address is Belgravia, it is a few minutes stroll from Knightsbridge (we were outside Harvey Nichols in just four minutes, Mrs M pointed out as if she had the use of a stopwatch), an amble from Sloane Square and then a drift back through Chelsea past the Hospital and then the Saachi Gallery (always good for a laugh and it’s free) and, monsoons permitting, you can be back in your room or the hotel lobby bar in plenty of time for a cocktail before dinner.

I, however, had something else in mind. Having been soaked through already why not, I enthused to a wilting Mrs M, nip across the road to the Lowndes’s sister establishment, the Jumeirah-Carlton-Tower Hotel, for a splash in their rooftop pool? She declined, but she was up for whiling away an hour in the spa’s palm-fringed rest area, plumped on a sofa, flicking through a couple of magazines while I exerted myself. The deal was done.

To be factual, the rooftop pool area at The Jumeirah- Carlton-Tower is on the second floor of the hotel. But as it’s striking glass canopy juts out across Belgravia from a great height making it a prominent feature of the area, it might as well be in the sky. The fabulous 20 metre stainless steel pool is one of the best in London and as well as the hot tub, guests can also make use of the steam room. There’s a second steam room on the actual top floor of the hotel where the rest of the spa is located, as well as a sauna complete with integral TV and of course spa treatment rooms. There’s also a gym and aerobics centre so it’s little wonder the Peak Health Club to give its full title, was Voted ‘Top Ten UK Day Spa 2008’ by readers of Condé Nast Traveller.

You access the two spa areas by using a glass-sided panoramic lift which, when riding in your complimentary towling robe is an experience not to be missed. Clad only in my robe I wasn’t certain if the glass was two-way as we headed north, which added to the sense of adventure.

Use of the spa facilities at The Jumeirah-Carlton-Tower comes as part of the package when staying at The Jumeirah Lowndes. But let’s dismiss any notion that the Jumeirah Lowndes is in any way merely a annex to it’s larger sister.

Winner of the “Most Excellent London Hotel” by Condé Nast Johansens at the 2009 Awards for Excellence, The Jumeirah Lowndes is a fabulous individual hotel in its own right.

Having undergone a complete renovation some four years ago, the hotel is extremely well appointed. From the moment you step into the lobby you appreciate the contemporary feel, the light but welcoming design. From the lobby there is small sitting area as well as a TV lounge but the buzz of the bar is where most people were gathering before dinner.

Not that we were in a rush. Our room was very comfortable and the large, luxurious king-size bed meant we lounged for far too long in our robes after a relaxing shower watching the wide screen TV. When we did finally make it to the Mimosa Restaurant we discovered one of London’s best kept secrets.

We had of course expected the food to be lovely – and it was – but the prices were a real surprise. Main courses came in at around £15 - £20 and for the standard of fare in such a marvellous setting this, we agreed, was a true hidden gem.

The staff at the restaurant, as throughout the hotel, couldn’t have been nicer and helped with our choices. Mrs M went for fish and I went for the lamb, and both were truly beautiful meals. The sauce to the lamb was to die for. Starters included a marvellous mushroom soup. And, surprising for us, we even found room for a pud.

We could have taken our meal out on the terrace if it had been one of London’s warmer evenings, and a few diners we noticed did brave the weather to watch the beau-monde of Belgravia amble by.

Glasses of wine we carried out to finish in the bar where we were joined by a few guests and locals in the know.

The following morning we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast, the sun shone and armed with our free walking guide of London – part of a package with the hotel – we ambled off towards South Kensington.

We had vague ideas of doing the Natural History Museum or wandering into the latest show at the V&A, but we did not make it.

The back streets – I use the term ironically of course – of Chelsea proved such a draw we found the time we had allowed before heading for home had been used up.

We did manage at least a tour around the Conran Store – a temple to the great designer and founder of Habitat. It’s not really to our tastes. But no doubt the folk who enjoyed the Saachi Gallery would find it a wow.