"The vibe: Step back in time Location: Soho Top amenities: Sir Godfrey, the house cat Best for: Living London's history Sprawling across four 18th-century townhouses just off leafy Soho Square, Hazlitt’s whisks you immediately back to its Georgian heyday. 19 th -century essayist William Hazlitt lived (and died) here, and today the property’s literary heritage is continued by guests including Bill Bryson, who’ve left signed books alongside the likes of Seamus Heaney and Ted Hughes in the wood-panelled library. The 30 rooms, accessed via a rabbit warren of corridors and creaky, sagging steps, are all different, but traditional in style—a four-poster bed here, an elaborately carved dark-wood headboard there, a window nook for reading or a bulging bookshelf to get you inspired. Antique furniture, thick curtains, rolltop baths, and even sloping walls whirl you back into the past (there are TVs, but they’re hidden). Downstairs is the library and the lounge, with its honesty bar. The top draw is aging house cat Sir Godfrey, whose constant presence makes you feel like you’re in a Dickens novel (and in fact, you’ll find first editions of Dickens in the library, too)." - Julia Buckley
