BACKSTAGE at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, a gum-chewing Darcey Bussell was warming up at the barre before her afternoon performance. In the corridor outside the rehearsal room, a group of onlookers gazed entranced through a window at the sight of a dozen or so Royal Ballet Company dancers exercising with fluid gracefulness.

Understandably, as they practise difficult attitudes that call for intense concentration, not all dancers relish the goldfish bowl glimpse given to people on behind-the-scenes guided tours as they pause and watch. For us outsiders, however, that experience, and the pleasure of attending the matinee in this most spectacular of theatres, was the highlight of a 48-hour culture-fest, which also took in the three current blockbuster art exhibitions in London - Velasquez , Rodin and Hockney - as well as two smaller shows, plus a foray into Fortnum and Mason's, a diversion through the delights of Covent Garden itself and the literal high of a ride on the London Eye.

That all this could be packed into a single weekend, and all on foot, without the need to take a single taxi, tube or bus, was due to the fact that we were staying in a serviced self-catering apartment just off Trafalgar Square.

This comparatively new concept in accommodation invites people to "make yourselves at home", as the wording on the Citadines Apart'hotel logo puts it.

The company is managed by Ascott International, the largest global serviced residence operator in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Well-established in many cities in France, so far it has only four developments in Britain, all in the heart of London - at the Barbican, Covent Garden, South Kensington and Trafalgar Square.

The Northumberland Avenue complex is a short saunter from St James' Park and a few minutes from the Thames Embankment. The foyer looks like a hotel reception area, but once upstairs, we find our own private space. The added comfort is that someone comes in each morning with fresh towels and to make the bed.

An apartment can be booked at a month or two's notice. Having four centres means that if one is full, accommodation will likely be found at another. There are studios for up to two people, two-room flats for four or three rooms for larger groups.

Our apartment comprised a sitting room with a large sofa that would convert into a bed, and a bedroom with a king-size, and very comfortable, bed. The kitchenette built into a corner of the sitting room is just big enough for one person, but has everything you need, as does the equally diminutive, neatly-fitted bathroom, including essential hairdryer and with complimentary soaps and shampoo.

Furniture and décor are basic, but the sitting room has a high-speed internet point, plus TV and music centre. There's a list of eating places that deliver food if you don't want to use the kitchen hotplates or microwave. Groceries can be bought at nearby Tesco corner shop and, in the morning, an eating area in the foyer offers a breakfast buffet with continental fare. We investigated the Sherlock Holmes, a pub/restaurant virtually next door, where English food is served in the bar.

The chief advantage of this kind of accommodation is the freedom it allows. The Trafalgar Square apartments are within walking distance of many of London's main sights. The Eye is about five minutes away, Covent Garden about ten.

Since millions were spent on refurbishing the Royal Opera House in 1997, it has sought to shed its elitist image, and daily backstage tours are one of the ways it is doing this. These last one-and-half hours and embrace a wealth of fascinating scenes and information about its history, famous characters, costumes and jewellery. Seeing how they manage the hugely heavy sets that alternate almost constantly between opera and ballet was just one eye-opener. A tour would be an ideal gift for a theatre buff.

Visitors on a pre-Christmas trip to London might also enjoy a break from shopping to attend any of the 12 free musical events the Opera House offers in December - from lunchtime recitals to tea dancing, jazz concerts, carols, even a Die Fledermaus singalong.

Any anxiety about looking out of place can be forgotten. The matinee audience was dressed as casually as every theatregoer seems to be nowadays. Long gone is the era when the haut ton went to show off, barely glancing at the performers on stage. Apparently even the Queen sometimes attends incognito and is rarely recognised - anyone suspicious usually assumes it's her lookalike, Jean Charles.

With mid-range seats costing less than many a show at Newcastle Arena, and no more than it will cost to hear Joan Baez at Gateshead Sage in February, the Royal Opera House is well within most people's price range - especially if you cater for yourself at Citadines.