The Rookery

The Rookery occupies a row of restored 18th-century houses on Peter's Lane off Cowcross Street in Clerkenwell, a short walk from Farringdon station and the historic Smithfield Market. The hotel's Georgian townhouse setting is filled with period antiques, four-poster beds and open fireplaces, giving it a historic, individually decorated character that contrasts with the area's converted warehouses and design studios. Rooms run from Standard Rooms up to the split-level Rook's Nest Suite, each uniquely furnished rather than following a uniform template, with roll-top baths and antique furniture throughout. There is no restaurant on site, but the honesty bar in the panelled library and a small walled garden serve as the hotel's social spaces, and Clerkenwell's concentration of independent restaurants is within a few minutes' walk. There is no spa, pool or gym, in keeping with the intimate scale of the converted townhouses. Service is personal and discreet, with a 24-hour reception, and the hotel suits couples and travellers seeking a quiet, characterful base close to the City and Farringdon's restaurant scene rather than a large full-service hotel.