HotelChatter

Check in: The hotel is a moderate walk from the Earl's Court tube stop, perfectly located on the Piccadilly line from Heathrow Airport. It's no problem to reach and we had no problem checking in and being shown our room. The living room-like lobby held immediate appeal, and although it appears as thought this historical building is all stairs, there's actually a little elevator.

Room Reaction: Whoa boy, this is small. If we had gone for a private room in a hostel, we're quite it would have been larger, but then there's no guarantee on the ensuite bathroom. A room this tiny means we're digging through the sheets looking for any creepy crawlies, because it's cheap enough and a single room and who knows who has slept here before us? Thankfully we found nothing and settled in.

Some not-so-pleasant surprises included the fact that the room is so small that the desk lowers down, and the desk chair is so padded as to also serve as an easy chair. Unfortunately this means we sunk into the chair and were stuck in an uncomfortable low position relative to the desktop. Also, beware of the itty-bitty TVs: most channels you must pay for! In all our hotel stays, we've never run across pay channels unless they were adult-oriented. This was an immediate mark against The Rockwell for us.

WiFi Connect: Free and fine, even in the lobby.

What We Liked: Of course the cheap room at last minute is a plus, as is the hotel's location and the comfortable environs of the lobby. What's more is that the back restaurant and patio is totally cute and we could probably pass all day out back reading in the sun...or playing on the web with the free internet.

What We Didn't Like: The size of the room was a bummer, as was the pay-TV because, seriously, who does that anymore? Also our shower door was cracked, and if you're a sizable person or a man with broad shoulders, you will not fit in the shower.

Bottom Line: We probably won't be back. The Rockwell served our needs for a single night after arriving from the airport, but it wasn't long until we were off to other better hotels in the area after scoring deals online for not much more at all. When we're traveling, we're never fans of a twin bed; we want to feel on vacation and surrounded by space.

[Photos: Cynthia Drescher for HotelChatter]