Great John Street

Lounging over the first and second floors of the schoolhouse, these duplex rooms (300–350sq ft) feel warm and cosy, with soft throws, Louis XVI chairs and a shelf piled with hand-selected books. They’re individually decorated, but each room has a bouncy queen-size bed draped in high-quality linens, and a bathroom with a rainshower and freestanding bath tub big enough for two. Dramatic cascading drapes and original features (heavy radiators, exposed steel beams) and personality, and rooms have a flatscreen LCD TV with freeview channels, stereo-system and iPod dock, WiFi, minibar, butler tray with teas and fresh milk, and Temple Spa bath products.

Each of these 10 rooms (450–475sq ft) is individually styled: taupe, tartan and duck-egg blue, rich reds and plums, neutral hues with tactile furnishings, a fireplace in the lounge. However, all have the hotel’s signature flowing drapes and a cast-iron rolltop bath tub. Six suites are split level with a lounge on the lower level and bedroom on the upper, and four are spread over one floor, with the tub in the bedroom or lounge. Beds are king-size with dreamily soft mattresses, and there’s an ensuite with walk-in shower and plenty of personal touches (hand-picked books, pretty throw pillows). Rooms have a flatscreen LCD TV with freeview channels, stereo-system and iPod dock, WiFi, minibar, butler tray with teas and fresh milk, and Temple Spa bath products.

These four duplex rooms (520–600sq ft) are the hotel’s most romantic, with ornate hand-carved beds, his-and-hers bath tubs (except in room 31) and opulent decor: ruby-red, velvet trimmed, floor-length drapes, antique wooden flooring and local artwork on the walls. Beds are super king-size and oh-so soft; there’s a seating area and original cast-iron radiators, and the ensuite has a walk-in rain shower and twin sinks. Rooms have a flatscreen LCD TV with freeview channels, stereo-system and iPod dock, WiFi, minibar, butler tray with teas and fresh milk, and Temple Spa bath products.

Antique crystal chandeliers, original cast-iron radiators, huge windows overlooking the Coronation Street set (shaded by fabulous floor-length drapes): these suites (roughly 625sq ft) have plenty of character, and we love the egg-shaped freestanding bath tub just steps from the king-size bed. This suite’s spread over two floors: the lower level has a lounge with a flatscreen TV and dining table, and on the upper level there’s a bedroom and an ensuite with a walk-in shower. Suites have a stereo-system and iPod dock, WiFi, minibar, butler tray with teas and fresh milk, and Temple Spa bath products.