The Rockwell is a stylish, modern boutique hotel in the wasteland that is Earl's Court, however, our three night stay there left us... wanting.
I'd found the spot via Tablet Hotels (which I love), and since Adam wanted to stay in more than one part of London on his first trip there we thought we'd give The Rockwell a go for the second part of the journey.
First off, it's much closer to Earl's Court tube than Gloucester Road, as we learned when we lugged our bags there from the latter. Additionally, it's a 19 minute journey from King's Cross on the Piccadilly line, and it's a bit of a trek from sights in central if that's important to you.
In terms of our stay, check-in went smoothly and the staff were on top of everything and were sincerely friendly and helpful. Additionally, at check-in they let us know that while we'd booked a normal double room, they'd upgraded us to a deluxe double, which was a nice treat.
Upon arriving in the room, we found it to be very large, with nice lighting, a small flat screen television mounted to the wall, and modern furniture (large bed, two plush chairs, desk, large bureau), and small but modern bathroom. It did face busy Cromwell Road (some noise can be heard in the room), and given the decorative facade lighting outside some of it seeped through the 'blackout' curtains at night.
While the room was lovely, we did take issue with the bed - the sheets were a little rough, and the blanket situation was less than perfect. In addition to the sheet, there was merely a blanket and the thin comforter (which housekeeping stowed away in the bureau the second and third nights). Neither were particularly soft or warm, which was alright given the room temperature the first night - almost unbearably warm since the thermostat doesn't let you go below 18C.
On the second night, we got the bright idea to turn on the one-setting 'fan' feature, which took the room to the other extreme - almost unbearably cold, which led me to wake up shivering early in the morning.
In terms of the bathroom, the designer fixtures were lovely, and they provided nice toiletries from The White Company, as well as Mitre and Langley towels and robes (both Royally appointed brands). However, the shower was just terrible. I feel bad saying it, but it was honestly dreadful. It was an absolutely tiny cubicle (no bath, only the stall), and given the small size the water (which came out unevenly due to the shower head) sprayed in my face the entire time.
While The Rockwell is visually appealing and has lots of style, if you're looking for a comfortable place to stay close to central London attractions, I'd suggest elsewhere. read more