“The East End is packed with stories and folklore — Jack the Ripper, the Kray twins, the peal of Bow Bells — and among the legends ought to be the throne-like loo in a secret room behind a bookcase at Batty Langley’s hotel in Spitalfields.”

“Craving a cosy break? British Travel Journal handpicks a selection of design-centric hotels with stunning interiors guaranteed to make you swoon.”

“Most people stroll past without realising that there’s a boutique hotel tucked away behind the Georgian façade. Hazlitt’s is kitted out in full antique splendour; four poster beds, throne-style loos and endearingly creaky staircases”

Book yourself in: 10 of the best literary hotels in the UK. “Hazlitt’s is named after the essayist and writer William Hazlitt, who lived here, at 6 Frith Street, in the early 19th century. Many rooms are named after his friends, including  Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels.”

“Cultivated comfort at Batty Langley’s.

Sequestered in the City, Batty Langley’s is a confection of Georgian gorgeousness, inspired by one of the great Gothick gardeners. Who knew you could hunker down in such splendour just seconds from skyscrapers?”

“Nestled on sleepy cobbled Folgate Street, it’s just a stone’s throw from some of the capital’s hottest bars, coolest tables to book and sky-scrapping architecture but step inside and you instantly feel transported back in time, with jaw-dropping interiors, charming honesty bars and a rich history you can feel seeping from the walls.”