The ever-changing, cosmopolitan district of Earls Court is these days home to an interesting mix of students and well-to-do residents, with its various atmospheric pubs and stylish Earls Court hotels offering an ideal base for any London visitor.
Earls Court Exhibition Centre
The expansive
Earls Court Exhibition Centre is made up of three parts, Earls Court One, Earls Court Two and Olympia. The latter is the oldest, having opened in 1886 to accommodate to popular Hippodrome Circus. Earls Court One followed in 1937, first hosting the Chocolate and Confectionary Exhibition. Earls Court Two was opened much later in 1991. From these dates, you will have noticed an increasing demand for exhibition space developing, and this has meant that the halls now cater for around 3million visitors each year.
As well as many trade and industry shows, the spaces are home to popular events such as the Ideal Home Show, Crufts and Masterchef Live. Earls Court One was a popular music venue that held 19,000 people. While it could still fulfil this function, many music acts are now opting to perform at the O2 Arena instead. However, in its time, Earls Court has hosted top music acts including Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Oasis, REM, U2, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Coldplay.
Getting to Earls Court
If you have opted for one of our excellent Earls Court hotels, you may be wondering how best to get there. Fortunately, Earls Court is right on the edge of transport zone 1, which means you will pay the smallest fare possible to get there on the
London Underground. Earls Court station is found on the District and Piccadilly Lines, so it is easy to get back into central London again when you feel like exploring.
The Best of Both Worlds
One of the main attractions of Earls Court hotels is that they are close enough to central London to be convenient, but far enough away to be nice and quiet when you want to get to sleep at night time. Also, there are plenty of other places to visit to the west, such as Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush and Richmond Park. In fact, the District Line branches off in no fewer than six different directions from Earls Court.
You can head back along the Thames to Westminster and the Tower of London, go north to Paddington or Kensington Olympia, head south to Wimbledon or take one of the two routes heading west, one of which terminates at Richmond, the other Ealing Broadway.
Hotels in Earls Court
Earls Court is perfect for budget accommodation whatever the purpose of your visit, whether it's to take in an exhibition, visit the museums in neighbouring South Kensington, or travel on the tube to the very heart of the city and explore all the most exciting sites that London can offer. Hotels such as
Lord Jim,
Garden View and
Barkston Gardens provide everything you need for a London base, with a manageable price to match.
Earls Court Pubs and Bars
The main evening venue in Earls Court has to be the
Troubadour Club, a famous old music venue that has seen some genuine music legends perform on its stage in the early part of their careers, including Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Sat on the corner of Brompton Cemetery, it serves a wide range of beers and ciders until midnight.
If you just want a nice friendly pub near your Earls Court hotel, make for The Kings Head, where a selection of four real ales are changed around regularly and there is a quiz on Mondays. Alternatively, Mango Lounge is a lively cocktail bar with an even livelier RnB club downstairs.
Earls Court Restaurants
While not exactly packed full of restaurants, Earls Court does have a few hidden gems. Masala Zone is a very reasonably priced Indian eatery, especially when you consider that, far from your standard Indian restaurant fare, here you enjoy authentic regional cooking surrounded by genuine Indian artwork. If Chinese is more your style, head for
Mr Wing. This is a little more expensive, but this is offset by the presence of a fantastic 30ft aquarium. This long-standing establishment is family-owned and serves all your favourite Chinese dishes, while a jazz pianist plays five nights a week.
Alternatively, The Pembroke is a grand gastropub located just five minutes from the Exhibition Centre, making it ideal for a pre or post-show meal. British dishes are creatively served in a pleasant dining room that showcases retro décor.
Earls Court Parking
If your Earls Court hotel does not provide parking, you have a couple of
24-hour NCP parking options just one tube stop away from Earls Court on Kensington High Street. Young Street (W8 5EH) costs £26 a day, but a better option is nearby Royal Garden Hotel (W8 4PT), which has an overnight rate of just £18. If you prefer to park at your hotel, then opt for
K and K Hotel George, where parking is available for £20 a night.