Review: The Kensington Hotel London
A quintessentially British escape, within easy reach of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
By Sid Raja , December 18 2024
Country
United Kingdom
City
London
Hotel
The Kensington Hotel
Notes
The Good
- Recently renovated suites
- Blazingly fast WiFI
- Great location
X-Factor
- Town House restaurant
Introduction
London is brimming with historic neighbourhoods – Whitehall, Belgravia and Chiswick, to name a few. South Kensington, where you’ll find Royal Albert Hall, is another, and it’s here we recently found ourselves for an unforgettable hotel stay.
Much like its namesake surroundings, The Kensington Hotel is rooted in tradition. The building spans seven combined Victorian townhouses, with high ceilings, open fireplaces and elegant drawing rooms all adding to the heritage feel.
Rather than feeling like a living period piece though, the hotel is nicely balanced with more contemporary additions, most notably in its personality-rich signature restaurant and bar.
Location & Impressions
The Kensington Hotel is superb for work and leisure – the Natural History Museum, Victoria and Albert, and Hyde Park are all in walking distance, while nearby South Kensington tube station provides easy access to the Circle, District, and Piccadilly lines.
Stepping up to the entrance, you’re instantly struck by the hotel’s gleaming white facade. Our late-winter visit meant this was on full show, as deciduous trees lining the street were not yet sprouting their new buds.
It was quite a different story within, particularly in Town House restaurant and The K Bar, where white walls were accentuated by vibrant floral wallpapers and timber panelling, all softened by plush furnishings and sparkling chandeliers.
Drawing Room is the hotel's all-day dining venue.
Room
Each of the hotel’s 30 suites have been individually designed. We stayed in a Luxury Studio Suite – a spacious and elegantly-styled 34 sqm room flooded with natural light.
An ivory and gold four-poster bed dominated the bedroom, where a small two-person dining table with plum-coloured chairs and ornate timber writing desk rounded out the furnishings.
A comfy king-size bed.
In the bathroom, an inviting clawfoot bath, separate shower and double vanity – again, flooded with light thanks to louvred shutters directly alongside the tub.
There's no shortage of toiletries here.
A deep bath for window-side soaking.
Mismatched bedside tables and a two-door wardrobe, where the minibar was also hidden out of sight, provided plenty of storage options when unpacking your bag, as I always do.
Eclectic artworks added some interest.
There was also a pod coffee machine and mini fridge stocked with a broad range of drinks and snacks, together with bathrobes, a hairdryer and small selection of teas.
Free WiFi – at a blistering 140Mbps up and down – plus a flatscreen television with Chromecast functionality, as well as a second smaller television in the bathroom, added to the in-room tech.
Powerpoints within easy reach of the desk.
This was one of the fastest internet connections I have experienced in any hotel, making it ideal for business travellers or anyone needing reliable internet access during their stay.
Eat
The Kensington Hotel features two excellent restaurants and a sleek bar, while directly outside you’ll find yet more dining options lining the street, with something for all budgets.
The hotel’s flagship restaurant, Town House, offers modern British cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Its á la carte menu changes seasonally based on available produce, while a set lunch, pre-theatre menu and Sunday roast are all ready to bite into.
Town House restaurant.
For breakfast, there’s a light or cooked option (£32 or £40, respectively). I opted for cooked, which included a standard light breakfast – juice, coffee, pastry and fruit or cereal, plus a selection of cheeses – in addition to one hot dish.
Eggs Benedict on day one.
A classic full English breakfast on day two.
And for dinner, herb-crusted Cornish lamb rump, pea, baby artichoke and rosemary jus. Without a doubt, the best lamb rump I’ve ever had.
Lamp rump, alongside sautéed tenderstem broccoli and roasted potatoes.
Alongside Town House is the Drawing Room, perfect for a casual all-day meal or indulgent afternoon tea. Also of note is The K Bar, which mixes up cocktails, fine wines and a small food menu.
The K Bar.
In-room dining is available between 7am and 10.30pm.
Relax
The hotel’s common areas, including the lobby and the Drawing Room, are beautifully decorated and tailor-made for socialising, adorned in multiple lounges and comfy armchairs.
Additionally, the hotel offers Kensington Blue vintage bikes on which to explore the local area, with the option of a prepared picnic, plus a spa treatment room and 24 hour fitness centre.
The gym and fitness centre.
The gym is stocked with a wide range of equipment. Alternatively, there are recommended jogging routes to Hyde Park.
Verdict
Though perhaps not as well known as the likes of Claridge’s or The Savoy, The Kensington Hotel more than holds its own among London’s best luxury hotels. Its prime location, elegant rooms and sophisticated dining options all combined into a truly fantastic stay.
Whether you’re after a base to explore London or simply looking for a serene place to unwind, The Kensington Hotel is definitely worth considering for your next trip.
The author stayed as a guest of The Kensington Hotel.
Air Canada - Aeroplan
28 Feb 2015
Total posts 128
Fastest hotel wifi I've ever encountered was on the top (premium) floor of the Mercure on Princes Street, Edinburgh. I didn't speedtest it but it seemed faster than my home service, which was 150 mbps.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 May 2016
Total posts 4
Stayed there in 2018, the week after the Chelsea Flower Show. While Kensington is not the hip location that is SOHO or Shoreditch, the hotel is surrounded by tube stations including the line that takes you direct to Heathrow. It's walking distance to a bunch of "must do's" and a London bus or tube to everything else. We had a smaller room than reviewed above and were perfectly comfortable for a full week. We loved the bar, but as there were so many gastro pub and restaurant options in a stones throw we never had a chance to try the in house options for eating. Heading back to London in Feb and going to stay at the Broadwick Soho this time. Access not nearly as good, but it's the dead of winter, I don't think we will be straying far from the central heating ;).
06 Oct 2021
Total posts 14
A fine review but as ever, caveat lector:
The author stayed as a guest of The Kensington Hotel.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
24 Jan 2018
Total posts 778
Indeed a lovely looking cooked English breakfast, but at £40 (i.e. A$80) I'm just a little . . . amused!
23 Mar 2016
Total posts 9
Forty quid /$80 for a cooked breakfast? You are 'avin a larf....
Air Canada - Aeroplan
28 Feb 2015
Total posts 128
What's really annoying is hotels that don't reduce the price for breakfast when only one person is staying. Bad enough that singles have to pay the same amount for a room as couples, but when you have to pay for two breakfasts as well... (Actually I don't. I stay somehwere else.)
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