The best hotels in Clerkenwell

Did you think Canary Wharf was all soulless glass office buildings and city suits? Times have changed, and this TRIBE hotel – the first UK location from a group with hotels across the globe – is a good example of the fact that Canary Wharf’s is actually well worth a look these days. It’s a welcoming place a short walk from the station, with a striking redbrick exterior that’s clearly taken its cue from a Brooklyn apartment block. And that’s a good thing.

Luxurious boutique hotel standards meet the homeliness of a B&B at this gastropub with rooms. The sleek styling of the public areas can be found in the bedrooms, which come prepped and ready with Nespresso machines, bathrobes and slippers, free wifi and Smart TVs with access to Netflix - important. The bar at the Clerk & Well is big on cocktails, the food is pan-Asian, and there’s a roast on Sundays. Leather Lane market and the jewellery shops of Hatton Garden are also right on your doorstep.

Malmaison is a haven for design lovers everywhere. In the 97 bedrooms, you'll find decor that is modern, but not sterile – there’s lots of pattern and texture, with attractive wallpaper and stripped wooden floors. The rooms overlooking a cobbled square are the pick of the bunch, as morning sunshine pours through their large sash windows. There’s a useful brasserie in the basement and the bar is a good spot for a cheeky cocktail.

Step back in time, or at least feel like you are, at the Rookery. This converted Georgian townhouse is tucked down an alleyway and, inside, the wood panelled walls lead to an ancient reception desk. Beyond that there’s a library and a sitting room with armchairs, an open fire and an honesty bar. Upstairs is a warren of 33 bedrooms – none alike, but all intriguing (the split-level Rook’s Nest suite is a particular treat, with views of St Paul’s Cathedral). Antique furnishings are complemented by contemporary luxuries, like the well-stocked minibar and REN toiletries.

An independently-owned creative hub, the Zetter is a relaxed, on-trend hotel with friendly staff. Bedrooms range from rooftop studios to regular doubles, but all have REN bath products, rain showers and free wifi. Hot-water bottles and umbrellas also add a little homely touch. The downstairs is home to Club Zetter, a work/play/eat space that hotel guests have full use of. Across the square is the smaller but equally alluring Zetter Townhouse – pop over to sample the fantastic in-house cocktail bar.

‘A pub with rooms’ doesn’t do justice to the set-up here: a lovely mosaic floor leads to six well-appointed, boutique hotel-style rooms. All are individually decorated, but the high-spec facilities (big flat screen TV, roll-top bath and drench shower) and attention to detail (bottles of ale in the minibar, free wifi) are common throughout. Make sure you have a drink in the handsome Victorian boozer too. Proximity to historic Smithfield meat market means you get a fabulous breakfast fry-up (with an optional pint of stout), but be aware that it also means some noise in the early mornings.