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London Hotel Reviews

Bonnie Tsui Finds The Courthouse Has Cool Past But Boring Present

Where: 19 - 21 Great Marlborough Street,, London, United Kingdom, W1F 7HL

September 18, 2006 at 10:44 AM | 0 Comments

London hotels either ooze with history or are so new that the locals may not even know they exist. The New York Times checked into one with the history; a hotel that holds onto the intrigue of the English Court, not royal though. The London Courthouse Kempinksi Hotel was once the "it" court with a "defendant list [that] read like a who's who of bad-boy rockers." From Mick Jagger to Keith Richards the courthouse was a hot place.

Today the hotel is sleek and cool with an urban and international crowd. Touches of the building's older days reveal themselves as prison cells-turned lobby booths. But this is about as exciting as the place gets. Bonnie Tsui's write-up leaves a lot to the imagination. The hotel sounds comfortable enough with its "cushy" bed and top quality bedding, yet blasé could just as equally replace the her room description.

The hotel lists amenities that Tsui found to be less accessible than what should be. The fitness center requires reservations and WiFi will run around $30.00!

Despite its odd background the hotel gets a plain old, boring review. Yet Tsui concludes a redeeming round-up, reminding us that in the end its stretching the dollar that matters here:

A unique city hotel in a great location with an energetic bar and restaurant scene. And when other hotels are charging exorbitant rates during high season, you can still book online for Web specials (from £169 to £200) that include a Continental breakfast, served in the courthouse's original skylighted waiting room.

Related Stories:
· Check In Check Out [New York Times]
· Courthouse Kempinski Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]