The Times’ verdict on St. Pancras London

You have the poet and railway enthusiast John Betjeman to thank as you step into the grand foyer of the St Pancras London hotel, one of the city’s most striking Victorian neo-gothic buildings. Betjeman fought successfully in the 1960s to prevent what would have been one of the great acts of architectural vandalism as British Rail chiefs planned to demolish the station. It is a victory worth celebrating.

The grand building, with its red-brick façade, turrets, spires and magnificent stonework is the big draw and an “eight-figure” refurbishment has improved the 245 rooms and suites. You can’t better the transport links with the Eurostar below, and you are never far from the hotel’s railway heritage: the Booking Office 1869 restaurant occupies the former ticket hall, complete with its original windows.

The impressive foyer, with its iron-and-glass canopy, sets the tone with check-in desks to one side and the main bar, the Hansom, at its heart. Then there’s the staircase, which starred in the Spice Girls’ Wannabe music video.