H

ard to believe, but there was a time in London’s recent past when there was practically nowhere worth staying this far east — unfortunate indeed when one considers that there is in fact a world outside the West End. It’s a situation that’s since been remedied, and these days City financial types and the Clerkenwell/Hoxton art and design crowd alike have more than a few worthy options for putting up visitors in style.

One of the likeliest candidates is the Rookery, a sort of sequel to the literary-themed Hazlitt’s, in Soho. This one is an homage to the days when all manner of villains congregated here in the lawless zone (itself called the Rookery) just outside the old city limits. Today this part of Clerkenwell is more a dining-and-drinking sort of place, not terribly unlike Soho, really, though it’s still the place to catch sight of the occasional bit of villainy: Pete Doherty was famously arrested here, in an unintentional echo of the Rookery's romantic, sordid history.

It’s a history that the Rookery (the hotel) trades on quite explicitly. Each one of its bedrooms is unique, and named for characters from the Rookery’s lawless days, not just professionals but criminals and prostitutes as well. Inside they’re beautifully old-fashioned, a Victorian fantasy, some wood-paneled, all antique-furnished, with bathrooms featuring restored Victorian-era plumbing and fittings — a difficult sell to some guests, possibly, but not at all lacking for personality.

The only modern intrusions are the absolute necessities, which, in London hotels, include LCD televisions and wireless internet access. There’s no restaurant, and only limited room service, which is hardly an imposition given that some of the city’s top restaurants are within walking distance. And so are some of Clerkenwell’s best clubs and pubs, in case you’re in the mood for a Doherty-esque night on the town — if you play your cards right there could someday be a room at the Rookery bearing your name.