Walking distance to shops, museums, and tube stop
Bright, modern rooms with contemporary decor
Meeting room and business center
Restaurant with generous portions open daily
Bar and coffeeshop on-site
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Traffic noise audible in some street-facing rooms
Guest rooms are small
No fitness center or on-site parking
Elevators reputedly break down frequently
The upscale Mercure London Kensington is a chain hotel with 82 rooms spread across six floors. From the
outside, the concrete building makes the property look unattractive, but the inside is
bright and modern. Rooms are small, however, and many suffer from traffic noise
from the busy road outside. The location is close to Earl’s Court Exhibition
Center and some tourist attractions such as the Natural History Museum, and
there’s a tube station five minutes away. Room rates are reasonable for
this part of London, although it's worth checking out the nearby Amsterdam
Hotel, which is slightly cheaper and has extra perks including a garden and free
breakfast.
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.
Scene
Business hotel with light and modern, if a little uninspiring, decor
The hotel's lobby is bright and smart, although like many chain hotels,
it lacks personality. Across from the reception area is a lounge bar
with a flat-screen TV and lots of comfortable and stylish sofas in a gray,
white, and purple color scheme. The decor in the restaurant is blander, although there are some nice black and white canvas prints of
London landmarks on the walls. The hotel mainly attracts corporate travelers
and those needing to be a short hop from Earls Court Exhibition Centre.
Location
Near Earls Court Exhibition Centre and walking distance to museums and shops
Located on a busy city road that leads in and out of West
London, the hotel is a five-minute walk from Earl's Court Underground station and eight minutes from the Gloucester Road tube. The busy Earls Court Exhibition
Centre is a 15-minute walk away. While it isn't the most central spot for tourists
wanting to see the major London sights, there are some great museums
nearby. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert
Museum are all within a 15-minute walk. Those taking in a show at the Royal
Albert Hall can walk there in under 20 minutes. The trendy and exclusive
shops of High Street Kensington are just a 10-minute walk away, and those arriving
from Heathrow Airport can drive to the hotel in around 30 minutes.
Rooms
Compact rooms, but with decent amenities
Guest rooms have a sleek and modern decor, with silver and maroon
accents and contemporary artwork. Many of the rooms are small. The Small Double Rooms are particularly tiny, with little space to move around the
bed. They also lack minibars or mini-fridges, so while soft drinks and mineral water are provided free of charge, they can only be consumed at
room temperature. All rooms have free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, small desks, tea- and coffee-making facilities, and laptop safes. Bathrooms
are equally small and barebones. Light sleepers should request a room at the back of
the hotel as some of the street facing rooms do get traffic noise -- free ear
plugs are provided by the hotel.
Features
Breakfast and parking cost extra, but Wi-Fi is free
The hotel has limited facilities, and lacks a gym, a pool, and a parking lot. However, hotel guests can
use the parking lot across the street, although it's expensive. The hotel also offers copying, printing, and
faxing services, and there’s a meeting room that seats up to 20 people along with free Wi-Fi. Breakfast is not included in the room rate, but
can be taken in the restaurant, which is also open for lunch and dinner seven
days a week and serves international cuisine. Although the portion sizes are
generous, the quality of the food gets mixed reviews from guests, and
there are plenty of better eateries in the local area. Room service is also available, albeit during limited hours. The hotel also has a bright, stylish, and relatively quiet lounge bar and there’s a coffee shop that serves light snacks along with tea and coffee.
