Pros

  • Walking distance to the Natural History Museum and Gloucester Road Station
  • Simple rooms with flat-screen TVs and some have mini-fridges
  • Meeting rooms, business center, and business lounge
  • European restaurant, afternoon tea, and 24-hour room service
  • Traditional English pub and Starbucks cafe on-site
  • Modern 24-hour fitness center
  • Free Wi-Fi throughout
  • Full English breakfast buffet (for a fee)
  • Kids under 18 stay for free; kids under 12 eat for free
  • On-site parking (for a fee)
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Cons

  • Breakfast costs a fee, and parking is pricey
  • Small, basic rooms and bathrooms
  • Complaints about water pressure, cleanliness, and maintenance problems
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Bottom Line

The upper-middle-range Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum is a business-friendly hotel with a central location that allows guests easy access to the Natural History Museum and conference centers. The 906-room property remains busy due to its slew of amenities like 11 meeting rooms, a business lounge, two restaurants, and a fitness center. A Starbucks cafe and a traditional English pub round out the facilities. Though some Holiday Inns provide free breakfast, this one doesn’t. The rooms are small and less-inspiring than public areas of the hotel, but they do have modern amenities like flat-screen TVs, kettles, and, in some, mini-fridges. Travelers looking for apartment-style lodgings could try Go Native Kensington hotel, which has similar rates and rooms with full kitchens.

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Kids Club
  • Pets Allowed

Oyster Hotel Review

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum

Scene

Busy chain hotel that attracts couples and business travelers

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum was renovated in 2010 and prides itself as a business-friendly hotel, though most of its clientele are couples looking to explore London without paying to be in the city center. The hotel also draws in families with deals that offer kids free lodging or meals. It’s a bustling atmosphere inside the hotel; there are usually lines waiting to check-in, at the elevator, and at breakfast. The 27-story building has large open spaces with a contemporary vibe. The lobby looks like an airport with glossy floors, a large front desk with multiple attendants to accommodate the large number of guests, and pleather couches and chairs set on gray industrial carpet in front of floor-to-ceiling windows for seating. Hallways are drab with dated carpet and cream or red walls. Like the hotel, the restaurant and breakfast room have a slightly modern style with simplistic, stream-lined tables, wooden floors, and hints of color such as green glasses, colorful leather seats, and abstract art on the wall.  

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Location

Within walking distance to Kensington Palace and public transportation

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum is located on the southwest side of central London, and it's better connected to public transportation than it is to walkable tourist destinations. It’s a two-minute walk to a bus stop and a three-minute walk from Gloucester Road Station. Earls Court Exhibition Center takes 14 minutes on foot to reach. It takes a 17-minute walk to Kensington Palace, while the Natural History Museum is a nine-minute walk away. Buckingham Palace is about an 11-minute drive. London Heathrow Airport takes 22 minutes by car to reach. There are numerous convenience stores, fast food outlets, and places to grab coffee within a five-minute walk of the hotel. On-site parking incurs a daily and costly fee, which is common in London. 

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Rooms

Small and simple rooms with flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi; some have mini-fridges

Rooms are on the small side and have a simple, basic decor that falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between ugly and stylish. Industrial carpeted floors, blond wooden furniture, and simple framed prints on the walls make up each of the rooms. The color palettes are understated, mostly white, navy, tan, and gray, but remain overall pleasant and homey. Amenities are fairly typical for this chain, and include flat-screen TVs, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms have mini-fridges, and Family Rooms might have pullout sofas. Executive Rooms are outfitted with free bottled water and a chocolate bar. The basic white-tiled bathrooms are small and feature shower/tub combos, but have plenty of counter space, free toiletries, and hairdryers. Like in many hotels in London, the water pressure is low. Also note that guests have complained about cleanliness and maintenance issues in the past. 

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Features

Meeting rooms, business lounge, two restaurants, a pub, Starbucks, and a gym

The Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum is a business-friendly hotel with amenities to benefit working travelers. There are 13 different-sized meeting rooms with a total capacity of 300 people. They’re equipped with audiovisual equipment and come with packages that could include free coffee all day, fruit and beverages, meals in the restaurant, and free perks for the organizer. The Business Lounge is available to Executive Room guests and provides business services, free breakfast, and snacks. There’s also public computers in a hallway for guest use and free Wi-Fi throughout the property.

The hotel has one restaurant, the Consortia, which serves three meals a day, plus afternoon tea and 24-hour room service. There's also the Forum Room, a breakfast room that serves a full English breakfast buffet for a fee. The substantial buffet includes traditional British options like beans, sausage, and black pudding -- along with a selection of cereals, fruit, and pastries. Kids under the age of 12 eat for free. Monthly events like Caribbean Nights and Sunday Jazz Lunch are held in the dining areas. Cromwell Tavern is a traditional English pub attached to the hotel for beers and cocktails. There’s a Starbucks on-site, which is convenient. The Holiday Inn also offers a 24-hour gym. And kids under 18 stay for free as well.

See More Features

Oyster Hotel Review

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum

Scene

Busy chain hotel that attracts couples and business travelers

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum was renovated in 2010 and prides itself as a business-friendly hotel, though most of its clientele are couples looking to explore London without paying to be in the city center. The hotel also draws in families with deals that offer kids free lodging or meals. It’s a bustling atmosphere inside the hotel; there are usually lines waiting to check-in, at the elevator, and at breakfast. The 27-story building has large open spaces with a contemporary vibe. The lobby looks like an airport with glossy floors, a large front desk with multiple attendants to accommodate the large number of guests, and pleather couches and chairs set on gray industrial carpet in front of floor-to-ceiling windows for seating. Hallways are drab with dated carpet and cream or red walls. Like the hotel, the restaurant and breakfast room have a slightly modern style with simplistic, stream-lined tables, wooden floors, and hints of color such as green glasses, colorful leather seats, and abstract art on the wall.  

See More Scene

Location

Within walking distance to Kensington Palace and public transportation

Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum is located on the southwest side of central London, and it's better connected to public transportation than it is to walkable tourist destinations. It’s a two-minute walk to a bus stop and a three-minute walk from Gloucester Road Station. Earls Court Exhibition Center takes 14 minutes on foot to reach. It takes a 17-minute walk to Kensington Palace, while the Natural History Museum is a nine-minute walk away. Buckingham Palace is about an 11-minute drive. London Heathrow Airport takes 22 minutes by car to reach. There are numerous convenience stores, fast food outlets, and places to grab coffee within a five-minute walk of the hotel. On-site parking incurs a daily and costly fee, which is common in London. 

See More Location

Rooms

Small and simple rooms with flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi; some have mini-fridges

Rooms are on the small side and have a simple, basic decor that falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum between ugly and stylish. Industrial carpeted floors, blond wooden furniture, and simple framed prints on the walls make up each of the rooms. The color palettes are understated, mostly white, navy, tan, and gray, but remain overall pleasant and homey. Amenities are fairly typical for this chain, and include flat-screen TVs, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and free Wi-Fi. Some rooms have mini-fridges, and Family Rooms might have pullout sofas. Executive Rooms are outfitted with free bottled water and a chocolate bar. The basic white-tiled bathrooms are small and feature shower/tub combos, but have plenty of counter space, free toiletries, and hairdryers. Like in many hotels in London, the water pressure is low. Also note that guests have complained about cleanliness and maintenance issues in the past. 

See More Rooms

Features

Meeting rooms, business lounge, two restaurants, a pub, Starbucks, and a gym

The Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum is a business-friendly hotel with amenities to benefit working travelers. There are 13 different-sized meeting rooms with a total capacity of 300 people. They’re equipped with audiovisual equipment and come with packages that could include free coffee all day, fruit and beverages, meals in the restaurant, and free perks for the organizer. The Business Lounge is available to Executive Room guests and provides business services, free breakfast, and snacks. There’s also public computers in a hallway for guest use and free Wi-Fi throughout the property.

The hotel has one restaurant, the Consortia, which serves three meals a day, plus afternoon tea and 24-hour room service. There's also the Forum Room, a breakfast room that serves a full English breakfast buffet for a fee. The substantial buffet includes traditional British options like beans, sausage, and black pudding -- along with a selection of cereals, fruit, and pastries. Kids under the age of 12 eat for free. Monthly events like Caribbean Nights and Sunday Jazz Lunch are held in the dining areas. Cromwell Tavern is a traditional English pub attached to the hotel for beers and cocktails. There’s a Starbucks on-site, which is convenient. The Holiday Inn also offers a 24-hour gym. And kids under 18 stay for free as well.

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Babysitting Services

  • Basic Television

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Kids Club

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pets Allowed

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Room Service

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

  • Tennis Court

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.