When considering a place to escape and unwind in, The City’s Square Mile is unlikely to have made your top 10. The economic heartbeat of the country, it’s not particularly renowned for its potently relaxing charm. That was, until the jewel in the City’s crown, Threadneedles, made it’s mark. In 2002 the former head office of City Bank was transformed in to the first luxury boutique hotel in the Square Mile and, rest assured, this is one gem you won’t want to miss.

The stained-glass dome in the entrance sheds romanticized hues of light on the lobby, giving you the most beautiful welcome you could hope for. The hotel itself is, even by London’s gargantuan standards, huge; there are 74 individually designed rooms and suites across five floors. Spacious yet homely, the rooms are adorned with all the essential things you’d need to make your room as ‘home-from-home’-ly as possible.

The real star of the show is the en-suite, decked out entirely in limestone and scattered with toiletries from Asprey, the rainfall shower is worth the room price alone. If you do manage to pry yourself away from the shower, the hotel’s in-house eatery is Marco Pierre White’s, Wheeler’s of St James’ Oyster Bar & Grill Room. Its menu is dreamed up by White himself and features a bar dedicated purely to oysters and champagne.

With the Square Mile starting to resemble a jungle of glass towers, Threadneedles is the blissfully tranquil getaway you will not be able to resist. We challenge you to visit this beautiful little haven and not leave madly in love with the place; go on, dare you.