The Rookery

The Scene

Clerkenwell has experienced quite the resurgence in recent years and is now the new hip place for London to be. Life is perpetually humming here---Smithfield Market (a meat market for over 800 years) is just round the corner---and there are numerous clubs like Fabric. It’s actually a blessing that The Rookery has declined to have a restaurant else you might be tempted away from the gastropubs and exquisite eateries that dot the landscape here (think nose-to-tail St. John and Hix). London City landmarks like the Barbican are close by as is St Paul’s Cathedral as are several Tube stops to whisk you away anywhere your feet won’t take you fast enough.

The Concept

The Rookery stands as an homage to the people who used to call Clerkenwell home when it wasn’t at all a desirable place to be. Just as a house, it doesn’t stand out on its street---it blends in (but rest assured that the staff is looking out for you and will fetch you if you’ve missed the spot) and whisk you away to your room or suite (past Lady Grey the housecat, of course). Rooms are named after often infamous residents of the lane, put together in such a way that if it weren’t for the plasma TV in the corner, you might believe this was truly their space: the bedroom of the Dr Theophilus Garencieres suite (physician to the French ambassador), is decorated in such a way that it feels as though the good doctor merely stepped out for a moment, leaving behind the curtain slightly pulled back to let light in, his desk primed for work with space enough to write but decorated with a lamp and bust, and a portrait on the wall of a couple he surely knows and loves. The common spaces in the Drawing Room, Conservatory (where you’ll find an honesty bar), or garden feel as charming as the rooms themselves. Be sure to check out the library downstairs and also in every room for well-loved tomes.

The Look

Like sister hotel Hazlitt’s, there’s a perfect blend of Georgian and Victorian architecture and décor with modern amenities. Antique pieces of furniture are dotted throughout and sometimes repurposed to suit modern needs. The colors are never overbearing, keeping to a very historic palette of pale walls, dark curtains, warm woods, and tend towards a brighter and bolder tone in fabrics. Patterns are almost exclusively found in fabrics and are delicate and intricate rather than popping out at you, rather like the room itself: the harmonious whole beckons you to explore the details up close. The bathrooms are updated but still retain antique touches---our particular favorite is a vanity in a superior double room that now houses thoroughly modern sinks---with updated plumbing. We also love the large tubs present in many of the bathrooms; it’s rare to find as much charisma in the bathroom as in the bedroom.

In Short

The Rookery subtly draws you into its history and mystery completely thanks to its exquisite period décor and design. Go on, make yourself a cocktail and pull that classic off the library shelf and imagine this is your home…if only for a little while.