In the buzz and hustle of trendy Clerkenwell, step back in time and enjoy a slice of Georgian London – though with air conditioning, Wi-Fi and better-than-decent bathrooms. Peter McKay and Douglas Blain’s singular hotel (a sister to Hazlitt’s in Soho, see entry) occupies three finely refurbished 18th-century houses, the whole filled with ‘a soothing ambience and club-like calm’. The walls are painted in heritage shades, the windows hung with thick drapes; there are stone-flagged floors, open fires, polished wood panelling, gilt-framed paintings, antiques. French doors in the cosy conservatory (newspapers, leather armchairs, an oriental carpet) open to a small, leafy patio – a nice spot for a drink from the honesty bar. Every ‘solidly soundproofed’ room is judiciously decorated with period pieces – a 17th-century carved-oak bed, a Georgian four-poster, vintage bathroom fittings or a throne loo – and kitted out with modern amenities, including a minibar, bathrobes and top-end toiletries. At dinner time, powder your wig and head out to one of many good hostelries close by. Breakfast may be brought to the bedroom.