Independent
boutique hotel set in Victorian terrace
Fresh, contemporary interiors with period touches
Five minutes'
walk to Earls Court Tube
Street-facing rooms
have triple glazing soundproofing
High-end TVs with
Sky Sports channels
Excellent
breakfast and high-end dining
Designer bathrooms
with White Company products
Peaceful rear
garden with furnished terrace
Free Wi-Fi available throughout
Set on busy main street
Internal
soundproofing can be poor
Breakfast (though generous) is expensive
The Rockwell is
an upscale 40-room boutique hotel occupying part of a Victorian terrace in
London's busy Earls Court. Although overlooking a main thoroughfare, traffic
noise is kept to a minimum and the back garden is surprisingly peaceful. Accommodations are bright and pleasant with high-end amenities -- though there are no bathtubs and there's a bit
of noise-leak between the rooms. The Rockwell offers a generous breakfast (for a fee), and its excellent
dining combined with comparatively low rates make it a serious contender in a crowded marketplace. The nearby and also competitively priced Mercure London Kensington is also worth considering.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Independent boutique hotel set in a Victorian terrace with modern yet homey vibe
With its crisp
white facade fronted with wrought-iron railings and colorful potted flowers, The
Rockwell does a good job of standing out from its row of Victorian
terrace town houses. Although overlooking
a constant stream of busy traffic, once inside the triple glazing and double-door entrance ensure a hushed ambience. Opened in
2006 after a $13.5 million rehab, the interiors of this 19th-century property have
been brought firmly into the 21st century -- with cool understated tones with designer
wallpaper and clean lines of polished wood -- while some of the original period
patterned tile floors and lovely wrought-iron bannisters have been carefully maintained.
Comfy sofas and bookshelves filled with novels and board games also give this
independent boutique hotel a homey vibe, while a glass bridge connects to the back terrace, where guests can find a quiet outdoor place to relax -- albeit with numerous surrounding buildings overlooking it.
Location
Overlooking a busy main road in central-west London's Earls Court neighborhood
The hotel is
located on the very busy Cromwell Road, in the slightly shabby -- though
increasingly smartening -- Earls Court area of central-west London. Located within a five-minute walk north of the Earls Court Tube station, it's well positioned for
transport links and train connections to central London. It's also a short trip to the Earls Court
Exhibition Center and a short bus journey (or long walk) to London's most
famous (and free) museums, including the Natural History Museum and the Science
Museum.
Rooms
Triple-glazed rooms with espresso machines and Sky Sports
The hotel has 40
rooms in all, with a higher-than-usual number of single rooms -- 13 to be exact, so The Rockwell is popular with solo travelers. Decor
is understated, with fresh neutral tones and the occasional splash of
designer wallpaper. Large windows and (mostly) high ceilings mean plenty of
natural light during the day, and triple glazing ensures very little traffic
noise disturbance (though internal soundproofing could be better in some rooms).
Standard amenities include high-end flat-screen TVs (with Sky Sports), free
Wi-Fi, and espresso machines, while bathrooms come without tubs -- though do
include fittings by Philippe Stark and Hans Grohe, and products from the White
Company. The three ground-floor rooms have lovely little furnished garden
terraces, where guests can have breakfast on warm mornings.
Features
Bright restaurant serving a generous breakfast and quality dining with alfresco option
The hotel's small
though bright and pleasant restaurant overlooks the garden and serves generous
full English and continental breakfasts each morning -- though breakfast is not
included in the standard room rate and can be a bit expensive. Afternoon tea is also
available, together with a fine-dining menu in the evening, which can be taken on the back terrace, which is floodlit at night. Wi-Fi is also free
throughout the property, and room service is available around the clock.
