Celebrities' favourite hotels

We all know supermodels don’t get out of bed for less than a million, but how much do A-listers pay to get into one? Jill Starley-Grainger takes a peek at some VIP suitesTomKatThe Hollywood romance and wedding of Tom and Katie was hardly a low-key affair. After months of OTT pronouncements of their love, followed by a very public engagement at the Eiffel Tower, the pair married in a ‘traditional’ Scientology ceremony at an Italian castle. A week before the wedding, the betrothed landed at Hassler Hotel in Rome, where they stayed in Room 712, the enormous Presidential Penthouse Suite, until after their nuptials. Paparazzi camped out on the streets below, recording every detail of their comings and goings. Fortunately, they were able to take refuge in their suite’s private 160-square-metre terrace atop the Spanish Steps. Tom was so impressed by the food at the hotel’s restaurant Imago, he asked Chef Francesco Apreda to teach him how to make Pasta Alla Carbonara so he could prepare it for Katie back home. The couple’s friends stayed in nearby rooms, including Posh and Becks in 521 and Will Smith in 503. Presidential Penthouse Suite from €3,400 Double rooms from €605 Hotel Hassler Roma, www.hotelhasslerroma.comDaytripperLiz Hurley was the natural choice to open Amsterdam’s Miljonair Fair in 2005, where the uber-rich go to blow their cash on champagne, cars and couture. Not only does she have a vast fortune herself, but in 2002 she gave birth to the son of mega-millionaire Steve Bing, and she’s marrying businessman Arun Nayar, also not short of a few mill. When opening the fair, she was clearly getting into the swing of the lifestyles of the rich and famous by hiring the Presidential Suite at the Amsterdam Hilton just for the day. As you do. Presidential Suite from €XXX Double rooms from €230, www.amsterdam.hilton.comCry him a riverScoring a hat trick at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2003 (Best Male, Best Pop, Best Album) must have been some compensation for the fact that Justin Timberlake hadn’t been able to leave his room for four days. Luckily, he was staying in the glamorous 7th floor Baron Suite at The Scotsman in Edinburgh. Paparazzi and hordes of screaming fans meant he was a virtual prisoner at the hotel, where he spent time in the turreted drawing room admiring the views over Princes Street and the Scott Monument and Gardens. Timbermania was so extreme that even the bar staff were papped while taking the rubbish out. Baron Suite from £530 Double rooms from £180, www.thescotsmanhotel.co.ukFeverWhen the ultimate showgirl had to reschedule concerts in Manchester due to illness, fans held their breath. Having recently recovered from cancer, it was suggested Kylie might not be strong enough to continue the tour. Thanks to the TLC she received at Malmaison Manchester, however, she and her crew, who had also caught the flu, were ready to perform again a week later. Sleeping off her fever in the hotel’s sumptuous, and no doubt strangely familiar, Moulin Rouge suite helped. The Parisian-style suite includes plunge baths in the bathroom and lounge and is full of rich fabrics, comforting sofas and complimentary Veuve Clicquot, although it’s unlikely the green fairy was up to taking a tipple. Despite being under the weather, hotel staff report that Kylie and co were the nicest crew they've ever had at the hotel. Moulin Rouge suite from £395 Double rooms from £140, www.malmaison-manchester.comYesterdayIn Lisbon, there's one place that royalty, whether regal or rock, feel right at home - Lapa Palace. From HRH the Queen to Tina Turner, Cher and Sting, the palace-turned-hotel hosts those with the most. No surprise then that Sir Paul McCartney chose to stay here when he played at Lisbon’s bi-annual Rock in Rio concert in 2004. During the heady days after their baby was born and before the good times turned bad, Macca, Heather and Beatrice played happy families in the vast Suite Count of Valenças. Looking as though it was transported from Versailles, the room features furniture and fittings from the original 19th century palace, gold-leaf walls and a large terrace offering magnificent views of the river Tagus. Suite Count of Valenças from €2,500 Doubles from €325, www.lapapalace.comQuiet riotBefore headlining the 2006 Tennents Vital urban music festival, indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs checked into Belfast’s newest five-star establishment, The Merchant Hotel. The opulent glamour isn’t exactly in line with their 'I predict a riot' image. KC and crew took over a large part of the hotel for two nights in August, behaving like perfect gentlemen. Lead singer Ricky Wilson went to bed in the luxurious Brian Friel suite, which features flowery fabrics in gold and brown, a cosy fireplace and a marble bathroom with romantic roll-top plunge bath. Rock on. Brian Friel suite from £600 Doubles from £99, www.themerchanthotel.comBedded blissJohn and Yoko found it so hard to get out of bed on their honeymoon in 1969 that they decided to just stay in it – for a week. The two staged their first Bed-In for peace at Amsterdam’s Hilton Hotel just days after they were married. With the world’s press camped out in their room, they asked everyone to give peace a chance. In 1990, the Hilton opened the John and Yoko suite, designed in part by Yoko Ono. Hippy romantics can now get married there, then fall into bed for their own, more private, Hair Peace honeymoon. John and Yoko suite from €1,400, www.amsterdam.hilton.comFinding ZorroAntonio Banderas makes regular visits to his hometown with wife Melanie Griffiths and daughter Stella. They were papped last year watching Malaga’s famous Easter week parades from the balcony of a room at trendy Hotel Larios. For lunch the next day, try to spot Zorro at his restaurant in the city centre, La Posada de Antonio, where you can enjoy a plate of tapas and still come home with change from 20euros. Suites from €165, doubles from €135, www.hotel-larios.com