Hazlitt’s

Step out of the hurly-burly of London into a cocoon of quiet but gracious living in this historic town house hotel. The former home of the 18th-century essayist, William Hazlitt, it’s been skilfully extended into neighbouring houses and turned into a rich and colourful boutique hotel, complete with wonky walls and creaky floorboards. Lavish and luxurious, yet never stiff and formal, it is a place of ‘civilised’ and ‘old-fashioned hospitality’. Bedrooms, for example, are named after Hazlitt’s friends, including various favourite ladies. Each is richly furnished with 17th- or 18th-century carved oak beds or Georgian four-posters, antiques, velvet bedspreads and thick silk curtains. Paintings and baroque mirrors hang on panelled walls, with perhaps a marble bust in a fireplace. Bathrooms have restored vintage plumbing, often with roll-top baths. In-room breakfasts are elegantly served on bone china with posies of flowers, plus there’s a short lounge menu, which you can also take in the panelled library. With a working fire and plenty of books, plus a well-stocked honesty bar, this is a quiet retreat from bustling Soho outside.