Once known for its celebrity shenanigans, this west London bolthole, in two neo-classical mansions, is ‘the opposite of bland’. Its rock ’n’ roll history is well reflected in the ‘quirky, unconventional’ decor, from the Audubon-esque murals to the Victorian steampunk bathtub to the antique four-poster bed that users need steps to get into. ‘The result is a delight.’ Owners Peter and Jessica Frankopan – whose Curious Group of Hotels includes the Canal House, Amsterdam (see the Good Hotel Guide website) – have kept the hotel’s original features and eccentricities, including vintage crockery from nearby Portobello Road market. Overlooking private gardens or the quiet residential street, bedrooms range from ‘tiny but beautifully coloured’ attic singles to generously sized ‘Exceptional’ rooms – one of them the very place where the theatrical singer-songwriter Alice Cooper once kept his boa constrictor in the bath. A continental breakfast of pastries, yogurts, meats and cheeses is taken in the ‘large, light’ drawing room (cooked dishes are available at extra charge); after-hours, pour yourself a drink in one of the crystal glasses from the honesty bar.