While most pop stars were at The Brits Awards on Wednesday night, which notable rock star/poet/junkie was rolling round town in a taxi grasping a disturbingly large bag from a pharmacy?

Step forward Mr Pete Doherty, who eschewed all the industry bashes to stay at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington. ]]> juliab 2009-02-20T09:36:08-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/2/16/16595/6231 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/21888/cranley.jpg" class="top"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/maps/Kensington-Hotel-Guide"><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kensingtonmap.jpg"></a>Big hotels are all well and good, but sometimes it&#146;s nice to hear of a little one doing well, so we were pleased to receive some good reports of London&#146;s the <a href=http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Cranley/ian/143746><b>Cranley</b></a> this weekend. <p>Plum in the centre of <a href="http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/4/4/123259/9307/travel/Shopping+in+London:+Kensington+High+Street">Kensington</a>, on a residential street, choosing the Cranley should give you a glimpse into the lifestyles of its mega-rich neighbours (who tend to fit just the one family into the same space as this hotel of 39 rooms). And an even better glimpse into British life &#150; or British life as viewed through Austen-tinted spectacles. <p>Everything in here is old style English &#150; from the redoubtable location to the mahogany writing desks in the juliab 2009-02-17T09:34:18-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/5/19/155526/887 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/easyhotelKensington.jpg" class="imgborder"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/maps/Kensington-Hotel-Guide"><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kensingtonmap.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/easyHotel+South+Kensington/local/1222"><b>The easyHotel South Kensington</b></a> (damn you, annoying lower-cased brand names) is not close to the shops we adore at Kensington and Hight Street.<p>In fact, it's a ways off (about 15 minutes) and we say only attempt the walk when the weather's nice in London. <p>We actually had a chance to go by this hotel and while rooms are cheap at 25 GBP a night, this is still a budget hotel and rooms are notoriously small. <p>However, the easyHotel gets pretty solid reviews on <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d550121-r16057856-EasyHotel_London_South_Kensington-London_England-m10559.html">TripAdvisor</a>. It seems most guests know what they are in for before they arrive.<p>A few tips: Guests said that rooms with windows are smaller than the ones without. Internet is juliana 2008-05-19T16:16:45-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/28/125746/862 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kensingtonclosehotel.png" class="imgborder"><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/maps/Kensington-Hotel-Guide"><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kensingtonmap.jpg" align="right"></a><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Kensington+Close+Hotel+%26+Health+Spa/ian/114516"><b>The Kensington Close Hotel</b></a> is a lesser-known tucked away on Wrights Lane but it's still merely steps away from all the window shopping of Kensington Street and the tube stop.<p>Inside the hotel has 550 guestrooms (book a Club Room for free internet service), the Oasis health spa and fitness center (charge of £5), the Blue Smoke steakhouse and the Lions sports bar and grill. <p>The <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d195280-Reviews-Kensington_Close_Hotel-London_England.html">reviews</a> on the hotel are, at first, all really good. Most guests recognize the place is old but say the staff and the location are two points that would make them return for another stay.<p>Digging a little deeper, guests complain about the quality of the rooms and the juliana 2008-04-28T13:25:46-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2008/4/21/13430/7231 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/copthorne_tara.jpg" class="imgborder"><p> <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/maps/Kensington-Hotel-Guide"><img align="right" src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/admin/kensingtonmap.jpg"></a><p><a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/Copthorne+Tara+Hotel+London+Kensington/ian/150368"><b>The Copthorne Tara</b></a> has a good location just off Kensington High Street but the hotel has failed to impress several guests.<p>A bit about the hotel first: It's massive with 833 guestrooms and it's part of the Millenium Hotels chains so really there's zero personality at this hotel. <p>Its Bugis Street Brasserie serves authentic Singaporean, Malaysian and Chinese cuisine. There's also a business center, a tiny fitness center and randomly, the hotel has a wedding license which we gather to mean it can host weddings here, not actually marry people off. <p>However, <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g186338-d193138-Reviews-Copthorne_Tara_Hotel-London_England-m10559.html">several guests</a> have complained that the rooms are dirty and the decor is tired. With nearly a 1,000 rooms inside, we juliana 2008-04-21T14:51:52-05:00 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/