London calling? Check out Shoreditch area for lodging and more

The lions of Trafalgar Square, the sounds of Olympic construction, the queues at the famous museums and the skyscrapers shaped like obscure vegetables – those all lie elsewhere in London. But since the 1990s, the city’s Shoreditch area has been gaining as a destination for eating, drinking, shopping and sleeping.

In fact, as travelers lay plans for the 2012 Summer Olympics—or even the royal wedding in late April this year – a few small, new Shoreditch lodgings are worth a thought.

* Boundary Rooms (2-4 Boundary St.), which opened in 2009, is a popular spot developed by Terence Conran and confederates with 17 rooms, each outfitted by a difference designer; a fancy and startlingly spacious underground restaurant; a ground-level café (the Albion); and a rooftop bar and grill that draws crowds in summer. This high style doesn’t come cheap. Rates begin at about $325 for most rooms, typically dropping to around $260 on Sunday nights.

* Shoreditch Rooms (Ebor Street), opened in April 2010, is a new facet to the 3-year-old Shoreditch House, a private club just a few steps from the Shoreditch Tube station. Its 26 rooms (four with balconies) include access to the club’s gym and spa, sixth-floor pool (heated year-round), a two-lane bowling alley, two restaurants and a bar. Some rooms offer striking skyline views. Rates typically run about $250 to $300 per night, a representative said, but on Sunday nights they can fall as low as $122.

* The Hoxton (81 Great Eastern St.), which calls itself an urban lodge, isn’t as new or as small as the other two. It opened in 2006 with 207 rooms. But it makes an impression with its semi-industrial design (exposed bricks, visible ducts, polished concrete), its popular bar and restaurant (the Hoxton Grill) and its fresh approach to the lodging trade. For instance, apart from free WiFi and a free continental breakfast (delivered to your room in a brown paper bag), it offers American guests an hour per day of free phone calls to the U.S. Room rates generally range from about $160 to $323 per night. Because the hotel is used by many business travelers, weekends are cheaper than weekdays.