In a bit of King’s Cross that’s choked with ratty B&Bs and cheap chains, this Grade II-listed property takes shabby chic to extremes with artfully distressed walls, torn wallpaper, signature works of art and old-fashioned TVs that barely work. It even retains the sign for the hotel that preceded Rough Luxe: ‘Number One Hotel’.
All rooms have free wireless internet, but otherwise have totally different characters: there’s the one with the free-standing copper tub, the one with the rose motif, and so on. The set-up is flexible, too: rooms with shared bathrooms can be combined for group bookings, and the owners are more than happy to chat with guests over a bottle of wine in the back courtyard, where a great breakfast is served. A place to stay if you’re looking for somewhere different from the norm.