The wonderful 31 room, four floored Church Street Hotel is the real hipster deal. In the rival for the next cool neighbourhood is Camberwell Green (forget Shoreditch, that’s gentrified). A genuine art scene on the doorstep, it’s right down the street from Camberwell Arts college and near the South London Gallery and the House Gallery. Albert Guinness and Dickens both lived in the Grove around the corner. And for cricket fans, the nearby Lord’s Cricket Ground is where the Surrey Cricket Group play. Started by two brothers, fine arts major Jose and actor Mel Raido, each room has a Spanish American influence with hand-selected books (ours had Bukowski, Bob Dylan and Kafka), a lush bathroom of hand-painted Guadalajaran tiles and Korres amenities. In the all-day reading-room, they serve a complimentary breakfast with Spanish coffee, liqueurs, organic breakfast goodies such as hot croissants and fresh smoothies. There’s even a PC downstairs to use and a selection of free DVDs (such as Raging Bull, Kalifornia, Amadeus, Chinatown, Taxi Driver) to borrow. Though it’s not really close to Oval tube, buses conveniently run straight into Covent Garden, Piccadilly, Hyde Park and Oxford Circus. And with rooms starting at just 70 quid, it can’t be beat.

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