text: The Andaz Liverpool Street hotel in London used to be bedlam, but not through cavalier management, rebellious staff or disruptive guests. The Victorian building that houses it is built on the site of England’s first hospital for the mentally ill - the Bethlehem Royal Hospital, which opened in 1247 and was often pronounced as ‘bedlam’. Fast forward a few centuries and in its place is a swanky, celebrity-baiting boutique hotel with 267 rooms  - four of which have been decorated by trendy artists. And instead of mental health patients, it's the likes of Beyonce, Lil Kim and Lady Gaga that stay here these days. Silence is golden: Step into the Andaz Liverpool Street lobby and you're in a world of hushed swankery . Star guests: The likes of Lady Gaga (right) and Beyonce (left) are fans of the Andaz Liverpool Street . Historic: Andaz Liverpool Street is built on the site of England's first hospital for the mentally ill . The striking thing about walking into the lobby is just how serene it is. Despite its proximity to one of the country’s busiest railway stations and the frenetic Bishopsgate road, the foyer is a place of almost temple-like peacefulness, as if hermetically sealed from the outside. ‘Who turned off London?’ I ask my girlfriend as we walk in. The check-in system is very Apple Store. The foyer doesn’t have a reception, it has amiable youngsters swanning around with iPads, which you use to register. Our room on the third floor matches the foyer in the hushed stakes, with the traffic noise quite marvellously suppressed. Even emergency service sirens are little more than distant bleeps. The vibe in this Large King room is minimalist chic, with two distinctive red Eames chairs and a sleek wooden desk with Jacob Jacobsen lamp. But we’ve chosen it for a certain bespoke flourish, for this is one of four rooms in the Andaz which has been decorated by trendy artists. Our room has a gigantic mural created by Patrick Vale and Paul Davis called One Day Walk plastered across one of the walls. The three other ‘art rooms’ contain works by Chris Price and his wife and collaborator Delisia Howard, design studio ILoveDust and Patrick Morgan. Art of the matter: MailOnline stays in the Andaz's quirky One Day Walk room, which features a huge mural by Patrick Vale and Paul Davis . Big draw: Patrick Vale (right) and Paul Davis (left) put the finishing touches on their amazing One Day Walk picture . Creative: The Pearly Room - also king-sized - features a flamboyant piece of art by Chris Price . Easel does it: Internationally renowned British artist Patrick Morgan reveals his Andaz street art room - The Day The Flower Rose . Multi-disciplinary English Artists ILoveDust’s East My Dust street art room will also appeal to those who fancy a quirky twist to their stay . One Day Walk is a celebration of the hotel’s east side locale, documenting a nine-hour walk the artists took that began with breakfast at St John Bread And Wine and wound its way past St Paul’s Cathedral, Hawksmoor Church, Brick Lane and Columbia Road, of flower-market fame. It’s a jumble of sketches, ponderings and quotes from overheard conversations that some might find a bit overwhelming, but we find mesmerising. A work of art that adds a splash of attitude and intrigue to a room with low-key aesthetics. The room’s other major talking point is the bed. It’s simply magnificently huge and comfortable, seemingly spanning multiple postcodes. There’s a lot of floor space, too. I’m tempted to zig-zag my way to the bathroom to extract maximum value from it. Delightful design: The Andaz Liverpool Street features a knowing nod to New York's Guggenheim Museum . Suite deal: The Andaz also contains bigger rooms with a living-room set-up . There is also an iPod dock, which would have been spiffing… if we had iPods. The Andaz should really invest in some Bluetooth-capable sound systems as mobile phones tend to be the portable music system of choice these days. The aforementioned en-suite, meanwhile, is strikingly swish, with floor-to-ceiling tiling, a deep bath and turbo-charged power shower. Room inspection over, it’s time to explore the rest of the hotel. The Andaz has made the business of sauntering around inside all the more pleasant by dispersing a zesty fragrance through diffusers and, I'm told, courtesy of housekeeping staff armed with sprays. It's called 'Darjeeling' and was created specifically for the hotel by a company called T London, which claims it 'relaxes and renews'. This aroma wafts around rather pleasing aesthetics. The hotel opened as The Great Eastern in 1884 and was given a Terence ‘Habitat’ Conran makeover in 2000 after it had fallen into disrepair. The result is most eye-catching, with a postmodern, sleek interior contrasting markedly with the redbrick exterior. A highlight is the soaring six-storey-high atrium and a winning nod to the Guggenheim museum built into the 'spine' of the hotel that joins the old part with a newer section. Guests looking up as they walk to the lifts in the foyer will notice the walkways above have been sculpted to imitate the New York museum’s world-famous spiral design. Very clever. The refurb, meanwhile, revealed something rather intriguing and Dan Brown - a Greek Masonic Temple hidden behind a fake wall. Built using 12 types of Italian marble and mahogany panelling, it was considered one of the grandest Masonic temples of its time. Masons began using it again for meetings when it was uncovered and while it's not open to guests, this ornate room can be hired by the public, with wine tastings and wedding receptions popular bookings. Our appetite for the mysterious sated, it's time to dine. Mysterious: When the hotel was refurbished in 2000 builders found this incredible Masonic temple behind a fake wall. Today it is available for hire . Flaming brilliant: Once a month the Andaz hosts a candle-lit dinner in its 1901 restaurant . Tasty: The standard of cooking at the Andaz is stunning and the setting truly relaxing . Food, glorious food: The presentation of the dishes at 1901 is stunning. Pictured is a crab starter . Casual: Breakfast and brunch is served at the Andaz's Eastway cafe, where the atmosphere is more informal . Brute of a breakfast: The full English option at Eastway will satisfy the hungriest of customers . Dinner at the Andaz, in its 1901 restaurant, is truly an experience to savour. Feeding takes place in a space that’s almost other worldly, a grand high-ceilinged room containing huge Mount Olympus-style pillars, gigantic potted plants that only Hercules could lift and a central block brimming with cocktail-making juices, as one of side of the room functions as a bar. The setting is enhanced because it's 1901’s Candlelight Dinner night which takes place on the last Wednesday of every month. Three hundred and fifty candles are lit and placed around the room for added dreaminess. The food quality is equally impressive. It's so beautifully presented you could call it art, frame it and hang it. I savour a delicious crab starter with cucumber, grapefruit and blackberry jelly (£14) followed by a brilliantly executed beef fillet with potato cake, oxtail spring roll, stilton beignet, carrot and courgette puree (£29). A glass of 2006 Woodlands Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot from Australia complements it marvellously. Brunch the next day in the hotel's Eastway diner is far more casual, but memorable all the same. The DIY Bloody Mary bar there is a great idea, but I summon a revitalising oatmeal and banana smoothie and a dreadnought of an English breakfast served in a huge roll from an interesting and fun New York-style menu. It's delicious but I feel anchored to my seat, so it's time to abandon the tranquillity of the Andaz and follow in the footsteps of Vale and Davis through the streets of the East End to walk it off. Rooms at Andaz Liverpool Street start at £180. Room With A View large King rooms available to book from £378 on weekdays (Sunday to Thursday night) and £252 on weekends (Friday & Saturday), subject to availability. They can be booked by clicking here. Visit andazliverpoolstreet.com for more information. Call 020 7618 5010 for room reservations. General number: 020 7961 1234.
target: Andaz Liverpool Street is built on the site of the Bethlehem Hospital which housed the mentally ill .
  Dating back to 1247, most people will know the institution by the name 'bedlam'
  These days it's a swanky celebrity-baiting hotel with 267 rooms and celebrity guests including Beyonce and Lil Kim .
  Four of the king rooms are decorated with mesmerising murals created by artists .
  Hotel hosts a candlelit dinner in its 1901 restaurant once a month .