Sept. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Living in the U.K. these days, the weekend getaway to the Continent, once one of the perks, no longer seems worth the trouble. Security is so tight, short-haul travel is something only to be done when strictly necessary.

With this in mind, my husband and I canceled our plans for a trip to Sweden. As an antidote to the terror scares, we sought a weekend of pampering in our home town.

We traveled to Soho Hotel in the middle of one of London's hippest neighborhoods. Terribly swank, the Soho caters to the surrounding film-industry crowd and visiting Hollywood royalty, who camp out in the impeccably designed one- and two-bedroom apartments while shooting. We were looking for just one night in a standard room at a summer weekend rate of 220 pounds ($418) plus tax to escape the routine of school runs and Tube delays.

An added enticement was the film club that takes place every Sunday in the private screening room featuring cowhide-upholstered chairs and sofas. For an extra 35 pounds, we enjoyed a three- course brunch in Refuel, the hotel's restaurant, followed by a screening of ``Breakfast at Tiffany's.'' It would have been a shame to decline the option of champagne at an additional charge.

From there it only got better. After the film, we grabbed a complimentary newspaper from the lobby and camped out in the flawlessly decorated reception room. For dinner, we had the concierge book us into the recently opened Bar Shu, with a menu of fiery Sichuan dishes. As we walked through the streets of Soho after dark I felt like a tourist.

Organic Ice Cream

Back at the hotel we borrowed a DVD from the front desk and stayed up late to watch Steven Spielberg's ``Munich.'' A mid-film pause allowed us to nip down to the ``honor bar'' for a snack of Green & Black organic ice cream.

Many of the smartest hotels offer the city's residents the opportunity to encounter London from a fresh perspective. You'll find these offers on hotel Web sites.

At the Baglioni Hotel in the heart of Kensington, guests have free use of a Maserati Quattroporte courtesy car within a 1.5 mile radius of the hotel. Want to feel like a real tourist? Have the driver pull up in front of Harvey Nichols for your appointment with a personal shopper. Or ditch the Maserati and borrow one of the hotel bicycles to explore Kensington Gardens. Other packages include dinner in the ultra-flash Brunello dining room.

While many hotels offer theater packages, jaded Londoners are unlikely to be tempted by tickets to ``Mamma Mia!'' or any of the other long-running mainstream shows.

As the principal corporate sponsor of the Gate Theatre, a tiny venue dedicated to international productions by emerging talent, the Guesthouse Hotel, smack in the center of the chic Notting Hill neighborhood, promises guests access to tickets to any Gate Theatre show at any time.

Da Vinci Mode

Many hotels can also get hold of tickets to exhibitions in London's galleries. The newly refurbished Egerton House Hotel, in Knightsbridge, has a package including two tickets to the recently opened exhibition ``Experience, Experiment, Design: Leonardo da Vinci'' at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The Halkin Hotel, tucked away in a quiet corner of Belgravia, offers a package for the solo escapist that encourages the guest never to leave his or her bed. The ``All About Me'' package is geared toward the single overworked executive or unappreciated parent and it's all about room service and unlimited movies -- though the box of chocolate and 1/2 bottle of champagne included seem a bit desperate.

In addition to special weekend rates, the Zetter, in Clerkenwell, offers a two-hour cocktail-mixing master class -- bar snacks included to keep you sober. With its oversized brown lampshades and curving black marble bar, the vibe is urban cool.

The location puts guests near Spitalfields Market, best on Sundays for quirky designer clothing and interior goods. It's also a short walk from the Barbican Centre with its galleries and theaters. But most appealing is the proximity to Moro, in Exmouth Market, one of London's most consistently pleasing restaurants featuring a Spanish and North African menu.

Spa Time

While we never got the chance to check out the Soho Hotel's 24-hour gym, many of these hotels maintain state-of-the-art spas and health clubs. Like the Soho Hotel, One Aldwych, its stylish competitor, runs a regular cinema program on most weekend evenings. It also has an 8,000 square-foot health club featuring a pool and a range of men's treatments.

Kids can also be included. The Berkeley Hotel promotes a half-term package. And at the Stafford Hotel in St. James's, a wicker basket stocked with a gourmet lunch can be prepared for a picnic in St. James's park. Included along with a bottle of Pol Roger champagne will be some bread for the kids who might want to feed the ducks.

As our rate at the Soho Hotel included breakfast, we packed up and wandered down the next morning for a full English spread, distracted by the sight of Scarlett Johansson a few feet away. We settled our bill and had the front desk sort out a taxi. Travel time home: 15 minutes.

For more information, go to http://www.firmdale.com/; http://www.onealdwych.com/; http://www.egertonhousehotel.co.uk; http://www.thezetter.com/; http://www.halkin.co.uk/; http://www.guesthousewest.com/; http://www.baglionihotels.com/; http://www.thestaffordhotel.co.uk.

(Erika Lederman writes about leisure-time activities for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are her own.)

To contact the reporter on this story: Erika Lederman at elederman@compuserve.com

Last Updated: September 26, 2006 01:02 EDT