HOTEL OF THE WEEK

SUNBORN London

WHERE AND WHY: We spotted the sleek five-deck super yacht as we emerged from Custom House Station on the new Elizabeth Line, anchored in East London’s Royal Victoria Dock. We were about to get a taste of life on a multimillion pound super yacht without setting sail as the 394ftlong yacht hotel is permanently moored beside the EXCEL exhibition centre. Boarding was via a dockside lift and when the doors opened on to the third deck reception we were greeted by a dazzling double spiral staircase and chandelier.

Our Yacht Executive River View room, one of 138, was surprisingly spacious, helped by a huge wall mirror, and French windows which opened out on to a balcony. With polished wood fittings, gleaming brass and Art Deco wall lamps it felt like we were on a traditional liner but with 21st century touches.

ON THE MENU: Sipping an aperitif cocktail in the Sundown Bar is a must. Then head up to the Land’s End restaurant. From the modern European menu, we kicked off with pan-fried scallops on a bed of pea puree with pearl onion and pancetta (£16.50), and smoked salmon with horseradish and a caper and shallot dressing (£14.50). Mains were lobster tagliatelle with sauce Americaine, parmesan crumble and grated truffle (£28) and wild mushroom risotto with vegan cheese (£22).

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: You can walk with dinosaurs at the EXCEL centre’s current attraction, Jurassic World: The Exhibition (until January 15, jurassicworldexhibition.com/uk). Concert goers should check out what’s on at the O2. For a little retail therapy, trawl the malls in Canary Wharf Shopping Centre. And it’s just a 16-minute ride on the excellent Elizabeth Line to Tottenham Court Road to catch a show in the capital’s West End. WAKE-UP CALL: A night in a Yacht Classic Room starts at £129 based on two sharing. sunbornhotels.com/london