You can imagine nodding off in an armchair over the latest issue of Samuel Johnson's Idler, or William Hazlitt's polemics in the Tatler, when you step into this time-warp hotel and close the door on trendy Soho. It was here, on a Georgian terrace in the 1820s, that essayist Hazlitt penned his valediction, and antiques and furnishings keep faith with a bygone age.

Unlikely as it sounds, a 1950s office block in central Bristol is today a cool B&B with neat bedrooms, shiny rooftop caravans, a relaxed vibe and a courtyard garden.

York's most unusual B&B is part of England's oldest working convent, where guests can sleep in modern comfort, enjoy a light lunch or tea and cake in the café, and share the sisters' peaceful garden.

In the buzzy Georgian quarter, a Victorian carriage works has been reimagined as a hotel, with industrial-chic style, spa, minimalist bedrooms and modern British menus.