Where? New York City, USA

The Hotel Chelsea is possibly the only property in the world that promotes itself on the basis that it was a murder scene. In October 1978, Nancy Spungen was found fatally stabbed in one of the rooms, and the police quickly arrested her boyfriend — former Sex Pistols bassist, Sid Vicious. Vicious died of an overdose before the murder trial could start, but it is widely presumed that he did it.

The pair were staying at the hotel because the Chelsea was well-known as a rock hang-out. Bob Dylan wrote many songs there, while Janis Joplin and The Grateful Dead were other regular guests. Leonard Cohen had an affair there with the former, and wrote the song Chelsea Hotel #2 about it.

Where? London

The Cumberland's claim to rock fame is that it was Jimi Hendrix's last registered address. He'd been living at the hotel for while before his overdose (which actually took place in his girlfriend's nearby hotel) and conducted his last ever interview there. It's said he used it as a regular sanctuary whenever he wanted to get away from it all or bring back a lady he perhaps shouldn't be bringing back.

He stayed on the fifth floor of this giant West End hotel, and the Cumberland has now opened a special Hendrix Suite there as a tribute. The suite is decked out with psychedelic splashes of colour and flaming guitars, whilst there's a giant Hendrix mural on the wall.

The Geejam Hotel is attached to the Geejam Studios, where the likes of Gwen Stefani, Gorillaz and Bjork have all cut records in the past. Somewhat predictably, the accommodation fits in squarely at the luxury end of the scale. The absurdly large villas are built into tropical forest and designed to look out over what may as well be private beaches. The best thing about it, however, is that they're prepared to let you loose in the studios yourself. Staff will go through the motions, nodding politely as you caterwaul your way through your self-penned sixth form lyrics, and treating the track with as much care and wizardry as they would something by Kanye West. This is nothing to do with you being obscenely rich enough to pay for the privilege, of course.

Where? Amsterdam, Netherlands

There's nothing particularly exciting about this standard chain hotel — it looks pretty much like any other Hilton — but it was the scene of some serious rock and roll history back in 1969. John Lennon and his band-wrecking bride, Yoko Ono, decided to put their dignity on the line by allowing TV cameras to film them in bed here for a week.

The pair lay around in the hotel's presidential suite for seven days, rambling on about peace and allowing the press in between 9am and 9pm every day. Astonishingly, the event didn't bring about world peace, but it did ensure that the Amsterdam Hilton got mentioned in Beatles hit The Ballad of John and Yoko.

Where? London

As the name would suggest, this hotel is more famous for the people who have stood trial in it than those who have slept in it. Nowadays, it has undergone a tasteful conversion with luxury rooms that far outstrip the comfort of the old cells. But the cells still remain, and have become little drinkers' alcoves attached to the bar. They've even got the toilets in the corner ...

The two major rock legends to have passed through the hotel in its former incarnation as the Marlborough Magistrates Court are Mick Jagger and John Lennon. Jagger was fined $320 back in 1973 for possession of drugs and unlicensed weapons — he was later pictured leaving with Marianne Faithful on his arm. Lennon's case involved a series of explicit drawings of him and Yoko getting jiggy with it. He exhibited them at the London Art Gallery on Bond Street, and was quickly hauled up on decency grounds before getting off on a technicality.

Where? Los Angeles, USA

Formerly known as the Hyatt House, this rock star party joint got was nicknamed 'the Riot House' by many who stayed there. Guests included Led Zeppelin, who rented out up to six floors at once while drummer John Bonham allegedly drove a motorbike down the hallways.

The Hyatt House is also regarded as the birthplace of a fine rock star tradition — throwing a TV set out of the window. Rolling Stone Keith Richards was infamously filmed indulging in the practice, and The Who's drummer, Keith Moon, is alleged to have been partial to the odd telly-lob here as well.

It's also alleged that Doors frontman Jim Morrison was chucked out by management for dangling out of the window from the balcony by his fingertips, while the end of tour party scene in This Is Spinal Tap was shot here in homage.