The Rookery

Right in the heart of buzzy Clerkenwell, The Rookery is one of a group of three London hotels that blend Regency charm with a boutique and thoroughly contemporary sensibility. Its name refers to the fact that the site was once one of London’s most notorious slums when the building went up in 1764. Thankfully, it's changed quite a bit since then, and Clerkenwell is now at the heart of London's creative industries, with a choice of bars and restaurants that tends to go with such neighbourhoods. It's also handy for both The City and the West End, with Smithfield Market around the corner, plus the Barbican cultural hub, and a host of other historic sights close by.

With entry permitted by buzzer, there's an exclusively private feel to The Rookery – no wonder it's the choice of A-listers seeking a discreet stylish bolthole in town. The hotel is a conversion of three Georgian terraced houses which have served many different purposes over the years – most notably, given its proximity to Smithfield's famous meat market, a butcher's shop. Today the ground-floor areas are full of character, with fine antique furniture and wood-panelling lending a cosy feel to its comfy lounges. The Conservatory, with its working fireplace, is a perfect space for whiling away the time and planning your day and night out, while the patio courtyard is great for breakfast. There’s no in-house restaurant, but in Clerkenwell, you don’t really need one given the choice of restaurants a stroll away. There's also an honesty bar for an early-evening tipple or two before you head out.

The intimate atmosphere continues in the guest rooms, which are spread over three floors, each named after local characters – 'tarts and thieves' mainly, like Clarice of Cokke Lane or Gentleman Jack Sheppard. The hotel is small by London standards, with only 33 rooms and suites, and is all the better for it. Most are decorated in the same homely, slightly theatrical style of the public areas, with gilded mirrors, baroque furniture, heavy, gathered curtains, piles of books, oil paintings and the odd bust creating an authentic stately home atmosphere that's quite at odds with the busy streets outside. Some rooms have four-posters, others roll-top baths, and they all come with good wifi, minibars and other modern amenities, including  Smart TVs that are often cunningly concealed to preserve the 18th-century ambience. They can also provide tea- and coffee-making facilities on request. The show-stopper place to stay is the fabulous two-level Rooks Nest suite, with a four-poster bed and a separate living space in the turret above: unsurprisingly, it has quite a reputation for partying celebs. Also check out the Rookery's sister hotels – Hazlitt's to the west in Soho and Batty Langley's to the east in Shoreditch – which are a similar size and equally historic, comfortable and private.