A boat wends along the river, backdropped by the distinctive chimneys of Battersea Power Station and London’s Grade II-listed Albert Bridge, where cars are reduced to ant-like proportions. It’s a view I drink in whilst stretched out across the chaise longue of my 14th floor Park Suite River View Deluxe.

A study in understated elegance, the furniture is upholstered in soft grey and rust orange tones and offset with leather-brass accents, dark woods and parquet floors. Meanwhile, William Morris wallpapered screens and wall art blends British flair with Far Eastern flourishes. I take in more terrific Thames views from my light-flooded floor-to-ceiling glass bedroom, and later, the marble-clad ensuite bathroom’s freestanding bathtub. Larger than some London studios, it boasts a walk-in-closet, roomy rain shower, twin vanities and a smart Japanese toilet.

My stylish check-in is one of 34 suites in the 203-key Park Hyatt London River Thames hotel, that climbs stylishly skywards up 18 floors. Scarcely three months old, the luxury property – part of a striking glass twin-tower development – marks the Park Hyatt’s debut in the UK. It’s also the first five-star property to open south of the British capital’s iconic River Thames since Shangri-La The Shard, with headline sights like the London Eye and Big Ben under a 10-minute black cab ride away.

Less well-known is the hotel’s postcode; the recently-regenerated up-and-coming Nine Elms district, from where the hotel’s sultry lounge draws inspiration. Suspended from its lofty ceiling are 400 tulip-shaped bulbs – a tribute to the New Covent Garden Market – whilst the bar’s automotive-inspired back wall references the world’s largest Rolls Royce and Bentley service centre in the fifties, which was located nearby. Also rooting the hotel in a sense of place is British artist Charlie Whinney’s steam-bent copper-wood sculpture, which snakes across the lobby like its lyrical river muse.

Branching off from here is the property’s all-day-dining restaurant: Nine Elms Kitchen, where I indulge in a belt-unbuckling breakfast the following day. I tuck into a sweet potato fritter with feta cheese as other signature plates like guilt-free walnut pancakes and an acai bowl – a nod to the head chef’s Brazilian heritage – are whisked out from the open kitchen.

Dreary weather calls for an afternoon spent happily holed up in the hotel’s dedicated wellness wing. Spanning the entire first floor, its state-of-the-art spa overlooks the Thames and Tate Britain and boasts a double-height gym. I take a dip in the blissful pool, where natural light streams in through screen-like pillars, warming its chilly waters. At 20 by eight metres, it’s not only one of London’s largest pools but one of only a handful to be housed above ground in the capital.

Invigorated, I peruse the mindful menu of spa treatments, that includes a charcoal detox facial and a brain-body hacker therapy incorporating guided breathwork, an invigorating scalp exfoliation, and, my personal highlight: eye yoga! My afternoon of pampering is rounded out with a 25-minute session in a sci-fi-looking $15,000 Somadome meditation pod and bottomless adaptogenic tea made with native super-herbs.

Revived, I return to my 14th floor eyrie to eye-sweeping views of the ‘Big Smoke’s’ twinkling skyline one last time.

Hyatt.com