Banksy, Brunel, BBC Nature programmes – A lot springs to mind when you think about Bristol.

The City has seen great changes over the years I have known it, becoming a centre for culture, art and business.

From the cool, hippy, anti-establishment feel of its street art – of course made famous by the anonymous artists Banksy - to the new Cabot Circus shopping centre, effortlessly mixing Bristol’s history with a dash of commercialism- there’s something for everyone.

What I love about it is its different each time you visit, and there are enough microbreweries, restaurants and bars popping up to give you somewhere new to visit each time you return.

Nestled in the very heart of the city, overlooking the inner harbour is aptly named, The Bristol. The hotel overlooks the water and the ferries zipping about, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a relaxed break and people watch. The views from the top floor were stunning, taking in the nearby @bristol site, college green and the harbour.

It’s in the cool quarter next to the Arnolfini gallery and M Shed, so you can get your fix of culture within just a few steps.

We dropped into the wildlife photographer of the year exhibition and the Arnolfini while we were in town, I had forgotten about the fully revamped steam engine that runs along the quayside and we went on board the replica of the Matthew.

This wooden ship was taken by John Cabot on a voyage to discover a passage to Asia- inadvertently finding the New World – the crew of 18 discovered North America before Christopher Columbus and called their discovery Newfoundland.

All this before returning to our hotel for a glorious meal in the restaurant overlooking the quayside.

The Bristol was rebranded to become part of The Doyle Collection, a collection of eight Irish family-owned luxury and urban hotels, in 2009.

The hotel underwent an extensive renovation programme, resulting in the creation of a stylish and contemporary four-star boutique hotel with designer touches.

The hotel prides itself on its warmth and friendliness and remaining true to its family-owned business roots.

This year sees the hotel celebrate its 50th birthday and the staff have promised there will be some surprises up their sleeves for guests this year. The focus currently is revamping their food and drink outlets.

To this end they have recently hired Head Chef, Pawel Mikolajczewski, who previously worked in London, cooking for a host of celebrities including Jude Law, George Michael and Clive Owen.

The restaurant itself overlooks the waterfront. Called the River Grille, it’s got a fantastic late-night jazz bar feel – all burnt oranges with a touch of industrial chic – and a live pianist to serenade your dining experience.

The food was excellent, using locally sourced ingredients like Nailsea lamb, to create delicious dishes- all at very reasonable prices.

Delicacies include: Hake with bacon and cheese croquette, chocolate fondant and baileys ice cream and passionfruit and coconut panna cotta.

The breakfast was equally well provisioned with no shortage of options from English breakfast to continental and speciality dietary requirements – all served by the kind and attentive staff.

All in all The Bristol is the perfect blend of urban chic and relaxed family boutique hotel to give you that chilled out home-away-from-home feeling. It’s the perfect place to explore this fascinating and ever-changing city as everything is within easy walking distance.

We left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.