Whether it's for business or pleasure a jaunt to the capital is always a fun couple of days.
The buzz of London life is intoxicating as you hop on The Underground and re-surface at various points across the sprawling city.
We are in luck as we alight at Euston, the sun is beating down on us, and after a quick jar at a traditional pub we set about finding Canary Wharf.
The impressive business district is perhaps more of an obvious choice for mid-week visitors who are suited and booted, but nevertheless we find it moderately busy on the weekend that we visit.
Lincoln Plaza London is a breezy ten minute walk from the Jubilee line at Canary Wharf tube station, ample time to take in some of the largest buildings in Europe and a quick river crossing.
The Hilton group already has a presence in Canary Wharf, with a Hilton Hotels-branded property about a minute’s walk from our hotel.
However, our base for two nights is part of the Curio Collection, a smaller more upscale brand with around 60 properties around the world.
Situated on the Isle of Dogs the 129-room hotel is housed inside a huge glass building with a Tetris-style finish.
Once through the rotating doors it becomes apparent that the Hilton's claim of 'comfort and style in the heart of Canary Wharf' has been achieved.
The open plan reception is filled with cobalt blue chairs and hanging lighting giving us a glimpse of the restaurant choices for later.
We check-in easily and head up to the 11th floor just in time to see the sun dip below the famous London skyline in the distance from our room.
A red glow fills up our suite which is a good size and very stylish and our eyes are drawn to the 'Sailor's Potion' that has been left on the side table.
The bottled Negroni has a cork top and is served on a bed of salt. The note informs us that it comes courtesy of head bartender Giacomo - to give us a taste of the cocktail list we may sample later at the Jack Speak bar on the first floor.
Is there a theme here? Well, yes as true to its Docklands identity the hotel has a fascinating nautical theme running throughout, from the name of rooms to the 'navy strength' drinks served at the aforementioned themed bar.
If you want to submerge yourself sooner you can always take a dip at the basement pool, which also provides gym facilities, a sauna and jacuzzi.
We take an evening dip and find it quite basic for a luxury hotel as the facilities are shared with residents of the in-house apartments.
Also there are also no towels when we arrive at the leisure area until the reluctant receptionist rustles a couple up for us. Nevermind, it does the job and it is fairly empty considering - but it doesn't entice us to return for a second dip during our stay.
I find the brand a curious mix. It makes a lot of its socially-conscious rooms in the literature but I find ours is more style over substance. The basics, like teabags or milk to put in a well-deserved brew, are nowhere to be found.
Perhaps this is a ploy to encourage guests to spend at the in-house grocery store downstairs, but this seems a touch more self-catering than upscale London hotel.
Conversely, the comfort element is there with a fabulously soft king sized bed to sink into after a long day sightseeing and a monsoon-style shower room with various potions to cleanse with.
Another highlight is our meal at Mr Todiwala's Kitchen where we embark on a gastronomic Indian adventure.
The ground floor restaurant serves up traditional Indian dishes using ingredients from socially-conscious suppliers and chef Cyrus's ethos is a perfect fit for the hotel.
We love the decor which includes a giant elephant statue and brass pots and pans suspended from the high ceilings. The restaurant manager is also great, advising us on the best dishes to try and making sure his staff keep our wine glasses topped up.
My other half finds a winning starter in the Frankie Goat Dosa (£11), a crisp white lentil and rice pancake filled with diced meat and spiced Bombay style yogurt sauce. It is so tasty, I can't help but trade my beetroot and coconut samosas (£9) for one more bite.
Mains include a Murgh Makhani Pasanda (£19) a whole breast of chicken stuffed with Indian whey cheese blended with nuts and simmered in classic creamy tomato sauce. I team it with a sweet naan and some coconut rice and the outcome is a delicious, fulfilling mix.
For mains the boy goes for the Beef Xacutti (£20) which hails from Goa and tests the chef's dedication with 21 ingredients and three stages of cooking. It is a meaty Autumnal treat, almost stew-like but more Indian in flavour. He feasts on it happily with a serving of steamed rice.
We shouldn't be able to fit in dessert but things are going so well it would be rude not to try their sweeter offerings. The assorted platter of mini kulfi (£8) is the perfect choice as we try to decipher the flavour of each bite-sized treat.
By time we finish a couple of hours have passed as we have lingered on the wine and chatted to staff. It's the best part of our stay and well worth a visit if you are staying at the Lincoln Plaza London.
Unfortunately, the same can't be said for our breakfast the next morning which is served in the hotel's other restaurant the Food Store.
I hope it was a particularly off day because the service was hectic, the breakfast was slow and very basic when it arrived. I ordered the vegetarian breakfast and was first passed a plate with bacon and sausage on.
At £45 you'd expect better - that's an high price for a very mediocre breakfast which was cold when it eventually turned up.
However, although it was a shame, it didn't spoil the overall experience at Lincoln Plaza London as there are many positives to this up-market hotel - just stick to Mr Todiwala's Kitchen for food.
How to get there
Take the train from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston which takes around two hours.
Then use the London Underground and head to Canary Wharf tube station. It is a 10 minute walk to the hotel
How to make a booking
Rates start at £199 per night on a room only basis, based on a standard Tillerman room type.
The same room with breakfast costs £219 per night.
To find out more visit www.lincolnplazalondon.co.uk/ or call 02079871157.
