FIRST IMPRESSIONS

It was a family trip to London, an initiation to the capital for Toby, six, and some new sights for Sophie, 10. Coming out of the wrong exit at London Bridge doubled what should have been a 10-minute walk so we arrived slightly testy at the Southwark Rose's unprepossessing entrance. The children quickly discovered the joy of revolving doors, spinning round and round, which did nothing to improve my mood, but the reception staff were unperturbed and their smiley welcome went a long way towards restoring sweet tempers and familial harmony.

The Southwark Rose opened in 2003 but has just been taken over by the Accor group to become the UK's first All Seasons, a brand of medium-sized budget hotels in city centres. Its position on the South Bank is within striking distance of the Millennium Bridge, the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern and a host of other London goodies. There are 84 bedrooms; a 21-room extension is planned.

THE ROOMS

The last time I stayed in a central London hotel, I could not have swung the proverbial cat, so our room's spaciousness was a delight. The decor was inoffensive – cream and dark brown – and jollied up by tall lamps. Presumably because we had interconnecting rooms, my husband, Graham, and I had a bathroom suitable for the disabled – it was huge with a luxurious walk-in shower. The towels, one apiece, were, disappointingly, neither huge nor fluffy but, along with a sign encouraging their reuse, chimed with our eco-aware era.

The children's room was slightly smaller and their bathroom more compact. "It's like our own little house," trilled Sophie, playing with the switch that operated the blind while Toby munched the complimentary biscuits. Tea, the TV, a miniature sewing kit, a dinky disposable shoe-shine and a safe provided pre-dinner entertainment both sides of the divide.

THE FOOD

The rectangular restaurant, on the sixth floor, with dark red ceilings and low lighting, offered a cosy dining space. The lounge area at one end meant I faced a large TV screen during my meal but the upside was that the children had computers to play on once they'd finished eating, leaving Graham and me to drink coffee in peace.

The hotel bills itself as family friendly which meant treating the children as equals – Sophie and Toby were called "sir" and "madam" by waiting staff which, disconcertingly, they didn't flinch at; it didn't mean providing a children's menu or colouring packs. The service, by beautiful Asian women, was top notch, and scotched any notion I may have had in a budget hotel that I was a cheapskate – even if I did feel we had landed in an early James Bond film.

My Cajun tuna steak was melt-in-the-mouth; Graham and Toby's sirloin was tasty and succulent. A chocolate fix is my desert of choice but the profiteroles offered only the thinnest of strips of the brown stuff, and were still frozen in the middle. Fortunately, Sophie was so full of fish and chips that she needed help with her delectably light treacle sponge.

Breakfast was an impressively varied continental spread. Graham did it justice but I could manage only fruit. Toby, meanwhile, put chocolate spread on top of a chocolate croissant and washed it down with hot chocolate.

THE VERDICT

Great location, great service and, most importantly, clean and comfortable.

THE COST

Doubles from £95. Family suite from £170. All rates include breakfast. Three-course set meal £13.95; mains from £8.95.