Become a Member for as little as $4/mo and enjoy unlimited reading of TSLL blog.
One of my pastimes, indirectly and by happenstance, is to save accommodations I come across (whether while reading the newspaper, scrolling on IG, reading blog posts by favorite bloggers etc.) that catch my eye for staying in London and throughout the countryside in England. I never know when I will be traveling necessarily, but I keep the information saved in a particular file for Future Trips to Britain. One such hotel I saved was The Rookery. And it had been saved for nearly three years.
While located in London, it is situated in a lesser known area to tourists, Clerkenwell, which many moons ago would not be where you would have found a place to stay, and definitely not a place of such luxury. But now, and for the past twenty years, The Rookery IS a place to book your spacious room complete with rainfall showers and clawfoot tubs, along with beautiful wood four-poster beds to enjoy a stay in the city without having to pay a luxurious price.
Situated just a short distance from St Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England and the Old Bailey, The Rookery Hotel is the only remaining early houses in Peter’s Lane, and the entire hotel has been entirely refurbished and turned into a boutique hotel with charm and traditional English décor.
What I appreciate about the location is that it is one block away from the Farringdon Tube station, and this station is above ground, which then takes you to the heart of the city in a matter for a couple of stops. So simple. (As well, there is an ATM just around the corner, which made for a quick stop before we began our day.)
Little or no traffic bustles about, and the only thing to note is a bit of foot traffic at night on the weekends, but largely, very quiet. I barely heard anything, but my mother shared she heard a bit more.
The period décor in every sitting room, as well in each suite is tended to, and each guest room is named after an actual person who resided in this part of London during the 19th century (most of them) and early 20th, some with quite interesting backstories.
What drew me to The Rookery was the ability to have a full size bathroom (potentially a clawfoot tub), a large sleeping area and beautiful beds with beckoning linens that made it hard to get out of bed in the morning. I slept oh so well in the bed you will see below.
We stayed at The Rookery for two nights, and took a cab from and to St. Pancras station which was a short 10-minute drive upon arrival and departure.
Our first morning, we ordered our preferences of tea and breakfast items before coming downstairs, and gave a time we would like to enjoy it (you can also have it delivered to your room for no extra charge). We sat in the room where the resident cat Bagheera took his naps, and well, we were delighted that he joined us.
Tea service was with Burleigh tea sets, and beginning the day with the quiet, cozy atmosphere, slowly starting the day was an ideal pace.
I’d love to show you a detailed tour of the hotel, as well as a look into my room (I forgot to take pictures of my mother’s room which was just as lovely). Let’s take a look . . .
Interior Entrance
The many Sitting Areas for enjoying a meal or tea (even a meeting if you have to hold one)
Our chosen room for breakfast Easter morning
My Room (you can tour more of this room in the video at the end of the post)
Details in My Bathroom
Regrettably, I did not capture a picture of the sink in the bathroom, but it too was a period white porcelain sink with a small shelf around the wall of the room that gave ample room for toiletries.
Take the full video tour
The Lobby
~Explore The Rookery’s website here.
Explore all of the posts shared so far during TSLL’s 4th Annual British Week here
The unassuming facade of this jewel box of a hotel in surely one of the loveliest surprises you found in London. The woodwork, the damask fabrics, the pom-pom fringe on the draperies are so cozy and comforting. I am finding our current bare window trend to be boring and seeing all your photos from this trip has convinced me that I need to get busy. Thank you again for sharing this journey. It has been a wonderful trip!
What a delight that they have a sweet cat in residence! Always makes a shop etc. more cozy!
What a quaint little place, almost like a period-piece in itself. That it comes with cat included is a an extra plus, of course ;-), so I will include The Rookery on my own list of nice places to stay for future trips.
Yes, I also have one of such lists, not much updated since 2020, but yeah, well, during this week, it got two new entries: The Rookery and The Pig. Thank you, Shannon! 🙂
What a beautiful hotel! Everything looks so cosy and inviting =) and Bagheera is great, the queen of the place =)
How lovely! I love anywhere there is a cat and probably would have been found wherever the kitty was….That tea set is one of my favorite patterns too.
Lovely!
Lovely and quaint hotel! The resident kitty made himself at home. I don’t think Norman would have been too happy!
I’d have put The Rookery on MY Travel List just from your description, but I’ll admit that it’s Bagheera who clinched the deal 🙂 . My Dad was a great Kipling fan & we had a sleek black cat named Bagheera when I was a kid, although it got shortened (not surprisingly) to “Baggy” more often than not. It’s due to Baggy that everyone in my family still refers to our cats as “house panthers”. But even without his esteemed presence, it’s a gorgeous hotel.
Shannon, like you, my husband and I have a “list’ and The Rookery is definitely on it. But, as other TSLL friends have said, the lovely Bagheera as resident feline has unequivocally cinched it for me.?Love the photos, thank you!!
My pleasure! I have a feeling you would thoroughly enjoy your stay. At one point, Bagheera was on the counter of the lobby desk receiving all sorts of pets from the staff (so of course we joined in ☺️).
Such a classic and next level hotel. What a lovely way to have spent Easter day!
Shannon, what a find. In the 90’s some friends of mine lived in Clerkenwell. It was definitely becoming a sought after area then. I seem to recall there was a beautiful Italian church nearby. I’m allergic to cats but I can see why you recommended it. X
Oh my gosh Shannon!!! That place is just beautiful and I am in love with it!! Thank you for sharing.
love all the classics in this hotel, can see why you had to choose it! Even the rafters and trusses in the one bedroom was enough to make anyone feel right back in a previous century or two!
What a beautiful hotel filled with lovely antiques and modern amenities. Is that a heated towel bar?! I would love to stay here on a future trip to London.
The Rookery looks to be such a charming little hotel. I love it’s entrance. Definitely noting it for a future trip to London,
Sarah