Hotels in Earls Court

Up until as recently as the 1990s Earls Court was a haven of hostels, the temporary homes of a community of backpackers. The area, like most of its nomadic residents, had a scruffy appearance and looked like it needed a good scrub. Now much improved - although hotels here are still cheaper than their Kensington neighbours - you'll find a Waitrose next to the kebab shops on the traffic-laden Earls Court Road. The large Cromwell Road also hums with traffic and is the main artery for the west of the country. The whole of Earls Court is peppered with some incredibly beautiful private gardens and squares, which are open up for one weekend in June as part of a capital-wide programme. The big attraction of the area, though, is Earls Court Exhibition Centre with everything from live concerts (Madonna, U2 and Justin Timberlake have all played here) to large scale annual trade shows. In fact, the site has been entertaining crowds of visitors for years. It was first used as an entertainment ground in 1887 when J R Whitely used the derelict area for events like Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and permanent attractions included the Big Wheel, a helter-skelter and a water chute. Bring them back, we say. More