Style: Discreet and royal

THOSE LOOKING for a elegant Christmas stay should look no further than The Goring hotel. Even the sheep look festive. Sheep? Isn't that a little unusual? Indeed, but then The Goring is no ordinary hotel.

The family-owned boutique property in Belgravia feels more like an aristocrat's London townhouse than a mere hotel.  The Duchess of Cambridge obviously thought so too when she spent her pre-wedding night in its top suite.

Add to this a hotel that has those  toy sheep in the rooms, giant Faberge eggs in its grounds (one Easter) or a Christmas tree made of designer brollies (one December)  and you'll see what I mean. Not ordinary at all.

There is a lot of elegance here and the merest touch of eccentricity, which makes it the perfect venue for the home counties set at play. This is one of my favourite London hotels precisely because it is so, well, English. Then there is the service - which walks that fine line between friendly and making you too feel like a duke or duchess. If one had staff at home, one would want them to be exactly like this.

The rooms, it is true are not large  -  if size matters then book into another kind of five star altogether  - but they are perfectly dressed. Each individually created by some of Britain's leading designers, including Nina Campbell and Russell Sage. All have rich colours and wonderful silk wall paper, which brings me neatly back to those hats...

The Goring attracts an eclectic mix of people. Some are flamboyant, some conservative. What all those guests seem to have in common is a loyalty to the hotel. I'm not the only person who feels as if this is my private London residence, just count the cashmere and pearls at the popular afternoon tea and you'll see what I mean.  In the early evening it is the same story in the wood panelled bar where jovial types jostle for a leather chair or sofa. No empty echoing lobbies or sterile spaces here.

There is always a slightly celebratory feel about a stay at The Goring, enhanced by the fact that the hotel embraces festivities with gusto. For example, when I stayed one December the trendy trees in my Belgravia suite ensured a very stylish Christmas and the outside of the hotel glittered like a tiara.

The Goring family have owned the hotel since Otto Richard Goring opened it in 1910. It was the last hotel to be built in the reign of Edward the VII and the first in the world to have ensuite bathrooms.  Between Otto and the current CEO, the charismatic Jeremy Goring, there is over a hundred years of history. Lady Randolph Churchill lived here, Winston was a frequent visitor, model Jean Shrimpton caused a stir in the lobby in one of the first mini skirts and novelist Anthony Powell invented his heroine The Hon. Angela Goring for his A Dance to the Music of Time novels over tea at the hotel. The hotel has also been used as a virtual annexe to Buckingham Palace for visiting royalty during various weddings, coronations and christenings.

As I leave the hotel I'm not sure what to buy as a memento. A miniature version of the sheep found in each room  so I purchase one as a Christmas present to myself. Egg nog anyone?

Check in: 15 Beeston Pl, London SW1W 0JW, United Kingdom, +44 20 7396 9000
Key Count: 69 rooms and suites
Ultimate Luxury:  The Royal Suite (which has actually welcomed royals -unlike some other pretenders to the throne ...)
Most Indulgent Moment: P artaking of that award winning afternoon tea
Insider Secrets: CEO Jeremy is a keen surfer, often seen in Australia ... perhaps that explains the sheep
The Little Things: The Goring is the only hotel to be granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen. Quite a big thing really.
Junior Luxies: Welcomed. Kids will love the annual Easter egg hunt in The Goring garden, starting at 10.30am on Easter Sunday. Guests will be invited to search for the giant chocolate Easter egg which once found, will be broken by The Goring's Easter bunny, Hopkins
Dress code: Pearls never hurt (but only for the women)
Dent in the platinum:
Luxury Hotels Link: www.thegoring.com