By: Andrew Vaughan

Is there a city with a richer musical pedigree than London? Sure, music fans make Mecca-like treks to New York and Los Angeles, Nashville and Austin and Seattle. Some even wander around Paris looking for Jim Morrison's grave, and yes, there is that place called Liverpool that gave us John, Paul, and Ringo, but London has everything for the music history buff, the pop culture vulture, and the genuine rock and roll fan. There are so many places to visit, so many venues that you can stand outside of and imagine The Stones or The Yardbirds, The Who and Eric Clapton belting out their chords. There's Carnaby Street, fashion center of London in the swinging sixties, Chelsea and Knightsbridge where the wealthy rub shoulders with rock and roll royalty. There's Camden town, home of the always vibrant Irish music community, where the outrageous post punk Pogues burst on the scene. There's the notorious Hundred Club where The Sex Pistols played, and of course, the hallowed site of the EMI building made famous on The Beatles red and blue compilation albums. So where to start?

If you're serious about enjoying London's rock and roll landmarks, stay in a rock and roll hotel. There aren't too many genuine rock and roll hotels, despite what the tourist guides might tell you. For those on a tight budget, it might be the Columbia Hotel on Lancaster Gate. Nicely situated, the hotel is however a little rough at the edges and a favorite of you heavy rock bands looking to make a name for themselves with late night debauchery and TV smashing. Then again, if that appeals, give them a call!  It's the Columbia Hotel, 95-99 Lancaster Gate London, W2 3NS. Telephone 44 20 7402 0021.

For those who like their accommodations somewhat grander and historic, you cannot beat the Royal Garden Hotel in London's swanky Kensington area.  The hotel has hosted thousands of musicians over the years, and you'll probably see some of them in the upscale Bertie's bar where Luis Coba has been bar manager for over 30 years and knows every rock star who has ever drank there. The Royal Garden Hotel also boasts a rock star heritage. This has much to do with the location on High Street Kensington where swinging London took off in the 1960s and into the seventies. At that time, guests included Sonny and Cher, Abba and The Monkees. Contemporary pop acts and opera divas still like to stay there, with nearby venues, including the Royal Albert Hall, within a five-minute walk, and Hammersmith Apollo and Shepherds Bush Empire close at hand. Rod Stewart has a penchant for the hotel and you can run across all kinds of celebrities checking in and out of a morning. The hotel is located at 2-24 Kensington High St, London W8 4PT 44 (0)20 7937 8000

For the musicians among you, you can do no better than pick cutting-edge K West Hotel & Spa. This hotel looks like Miami art deco with soft lighting, plenty soft taupe, creams, and browns blended with stainless steel throughout the swanky premises. K Lounge is open till the wee hours and is always crammed with "A" list celebs and rock and roll luminaries.

A little more central to London's west end is the Portobello Hotel, another rock 'n' roll icon. The hotel is fairly anonymous among fine buildings in the leafy Noting Hill area of London. U2's Bono and Van Morrison have been coming to this London hotel for years, while more recent guests include cult band The White Stripes and Nick Cave. British pop giant Robbie Williams chose to stay in Room 13, otherwise known as The Big Four-Poster Room with an Elizabethan bed so high you need a ladder to climb into it. 22 Stanley Gardens, London, 44 020 7727 2777.

Now that you are safely located in a rock and roll hotel it's time to explore London's incredible pop history. More on that next time.

Andrew Vaughan is a well-known and respected Nashville based writer. As a music critic his work has appeared in Billboard, Music Week, Mojo, "Q", the London Times, the Guardian, and Folk Roots. He was the founding director of Country Music International magazine and a regular guest on BBC Radio, BBC TV, and VH1.