One of the only upscale hotels worth your time near the Eurostar terminal, and one of the coolest hotels in town full-stop, The Standard burst onto the scene in 2019, but inside, it's pure 1974. I mean this as a compliment, for this Standard, like its sister properties in style epicenters like Manhattan and Los Angeles, has been designed to eye-pleasing extremes—in this case, to evoke that bygone era in all its shag-carpeted, spherical-lamped, olive-and-beige glory. Everything takes its cues from its brutalist building, which used to house the local city government but now time-warps young people to a groovier existence with a busy street-facing cocktail bar and a well-reviewed restaurant, Isla, which serves dishes that are a lot more restrained than its surroundings. It's an ideal addition for the ironic but moneyed dot-com overachievers who are moving into the new corporate offices around nearby Granary Square. Much of the ground floor is taken up by a buzzy lounge or low-to-the-ground seating set amid shelves of library books—Gen X guests will have grammar school flashbacks, while younger generations may just want to borrow a book to bring to bed.

In addition to standard rooms (the most affordable of which are dubbed "Cosy" and almost all of which have showers but not tubs), this is a rare luxe hotel with rooms sized for singles; here, 13 square meters (139 square feet). All categories are well-equipped, with their own Bluetooth wireless speakers, an ability to stream your device to the TV, and, as a perk you'll rarely see at any hotel, free loaner raincoats (Stutterheims) in the closet. (Smart! Umbrellas get lost.) If you have the dosh, this is one place where an upgrade is worth it: The King Terrace rooms (from £425) have outdoor spaces (with outdoor spa tubs) that overlook the ostentatious glory of St Pancras, which itself is an over-the-top representation of the design immoderation of the '70s—the 1870s. There are few buildings in the world more worth staring at from your window.  If that's too rich, ask for a corner Queen of Queen rooms, with a wraparound couch under its curvy corner windows. Rates for everyting tend to be lowest on weekends.