For anyone planning a city break this summer, as the impact of coronavirus restrictions still ripple through our day-to-day lives, many are looking closer to home.

We were invited to stay at The Bristol, a boutique hotel with stunning views of the city’s harbourside, this weekend.

It boasts all the amenities you’d expect to find at a decent hotel as well as a highly-respected restaurant, The River Grille, where we enjoyed a three-course meal.

The Bristol lived up to our expectations, as the room oozed class and food oozed with flavour.

All staff wore masks, and among the traditional soap, shampoo and shower gel in the room – there were two neat little bottles of hand sanitiser.

Unspoken rules among guests also were at play. There were no signs or instructions to not share the glossy elevator with others, but still, everyone patiently queued or opted to take the stairs to avoid sharing the same lift.

In terms of our access to local attractions, The Bristol was perfectly suited for our wanderings. Bristol Cathedral, the city’s aquarium, the Bristol Hippodrome, the Bristol Planetarium and countless cocktail bars were all within a five-minute walk.

All throughout our two days in Bristol, we totted up steps meandering around the city and took in exhibitions and street art, as well as sampling local street food and exploring markets.

In the evening, we ventured to the theatre district for music and drinks – ending up at Denmark Street, which was eerily similar to the Cowgate in my native Edinburgh.

It was almost a rush to fit everything we wanted to do into three days and two nights – reflecting the true scale of what the city has to offer. It may not be as exotic as Paris or Madrid, but a break Bristol is a staycation to consider.