Earls Court/West Brompton/Kensington is such a mixed area for hotels, if you want to avoid the chains and some very high prices. So it took a lot of sifting through to find one I thought would fit what I wanted - a decent room for under £120 near to the exhibition centres.

I sent an email to The Boltons before my visit and they replied within 24hrs - usually a good sign of what to expect in terms of service.

There are several somewhat run-down and dated hotels in the same street as The Boltons and the hotel really does stand out as the one anyone would prefer to stay in. From the outside it is very clean and tidy with a traditional yet modern look. Once inside the reception is modern, simple but welcoming and the staff friendly and helpful. Internet access was free on request, both wired and wireless and I think here was the first time I have ever been asked how many devices I wanted to connect, and was given an extra passcode so I could connect both my iPad and laptop.

My room was on the third floor and there is a lift but it is a one person and one small case only affair - I wouldn't suggest trying to get anything over hand luggage size in there - it's about the same size as a traditional telephone box! New and fully functional though. On that note, many of the hallways are pretty narrow too, so I would definately only recommend for those travelling light!

The interior is modern, bright and clean, as was my room. A little on the small side but very nicely done with a kingsize bed and lovely big deep bath in the contemporary and well finished bathroom.

My room was at the front of the property, overlooking the street which is remarkably quiet for the location, hardly any traffic atall and the windows opened so some fresh air could get in, a welcome change from many of the chains with their sealed windows!

The bed was exceptionally comfortable and the pillows delightful - I sleept very well indeed.

Breakfast was good, buffet style with everything one would expect, along with helpful staff who had no problem making me my extra strong pot of tea which I appreciated.

Overall, the Boltons is an upmarket B & B as it does not have a bar or restaurant in the evenings, but with all that Earls Court Road has to offer a few doors up the road, that works well. I would definately recommend it for business travellers who want a change from the 'could be anywhere, they all look the same' chain hotels and for anyone attending Earls Court which is pretty much on their doorstep or Olympia (Olympia 1 stop on the overground from West Brompton - a 5-10 mins walk). I was travelling alone and felt perfectly safe and secure here. Probably not so good for families or those using a wheelchair as you would definately struggle with a buggy or wheelchair in the lift and hallways, but they may well have some ground floor rooms to cater for those needs, worth enquiring.

The hotel and room was modern, the staff were friendly, spotlessly clean, bed was very comfortable. Furnishings and fittings modern.

We stayed in room 208, which had a window that we could not see out of, as it was approx 8ft of the ground, so we had no view. Room small and very warm. Don't mind getting a room with no view if the price reflected that, but seems we paid the same amount as the other rooms that did have a view. Glad we weren't spending a lot of time in the room.

Positives: great value, very clean, a very, very friendly staff, nice newly renovated modern rooms, great location a few steps from Earls Court station.
Negatives: very small room (standard), tiny bathroom with toilet only 5 cm from wall, so to use it you have to sit sideways. Breakfastroom way too small if hotel is fully booked. Breakfast okay, but nothing special, coffee was terrible!

This is a very clean, comfortable and great-value hotel, conveniently located a few minutes from the Earls Court tube station. A real highlight is the friendly staff, both at front desk and also in the breakfast room. I had a small single room on 2nd floor, but was very well equipped with a lovely small bathroom attached. The decor is contemporary and housekeeping was really first class - of a four star standard. Breakfast was very generous given the price I was paying. A fantastic find and would recommend this hotel highly.