Short walk to South Kensington tube
Glamorous townhouse setting on a quiet street
Beautiful, up-to-date decor throughout
Town House serves cocktails and meals
Freestanding bathtubs in many rooms
Modern gym on-site
Rooms include nice extras like Nespresso machines, iPod docks, and free Wi-Fi
In-room spa services available
Two on-site boardrooms
Rooms include welcome fruit and slices of cake at turndown
Open-plan rooms mean bathrooms lack doors
Some rooms have brick-wall views
No extensive spa facilities
The Kensington is part of the Doyle Collection, a group of eight luxury hotels around the globe. A classy, four-and-a-half pearl property that has 150 rooms, this hotel is comfortable and contemporary with a chic location in the well-heeled neighborhood after which it’s named. Guest rooms are beautifully decorated with plump chairs for relaxing and four-poster beds. Some of the rooms only have baths, but you can opt for a shower/bath combination when booking. Where the Kensington falls short is in its lack of extensive spa facilities.
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Scene
Townhouse chic with romantic leanings
The Kensington Hotel is set in a beautiful period building. The property has a white facade, but as they walk in, guests find the lobby colorful and inviting. The abundance of comfy chairs, warm fireplaces, and cozy sofas makes the drawing room a nice spot for afternoon tea. This is a romantic hotel, where you can expect petals in bathtubs and mood lighting. It’s a wonderful choice for couples and business people.
Location
Around the corner from South Kensington tube and minutes away from London’s top museums
Superbly located around the corner from the South Kensington tube station, Kensington Hotel is within walking distance of the lovely Kensington Gardens. Hyde Park is only an eight-minute tube ride away and it’s a 10-minute bus ride to Harrods. The Natural History Museum, Science Museum, and Victoria and Albert museums are all just several minutes’ away by foot. Heathrow Airport is a bit more than 30 minutes west by car with no traffic or 45 minutes by public transport, while Gatwick Airport is about an hour south by car or tube.
Rooms
Charming, simple rooms with upscale extras like Nespresso coffeemakers
Guest rooms have high ceilings, pretty curtains, large beds, and spacious marble bathrooms with freestanding bathtubs. Bathrooms are fully stocked and include toiletries, manicure kits, and boxes of branded cosmetics. Some of the rooms have TVs in the bathrooms. Flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, and Nespresso coffee machines come standard, and rooms with bay windows have views of the London cityscape. Plates of fruit and vases full of fresh red roses are a welcome touch. A thermos of steaming tea and two slices of cake are part of the turn-down service.If you book the Kensington Suite, expect 1930s Murano chandeliers, blue velvet trimmings, classy slate-gray bedding, a sumptuous circular day bed, and a television inside a mirror.
Features
Eco-friendly hotel with two boardrooms for business meetings, afternoon tea, and spa room
There are two boardrooms for business meetings at The Kensington; the theater-style space can hold up to 50 people, while the antique boardroom holds 30. The hotel is eco-friendly and thus The Kensington chooses food from local producers, making sure there are recycling baskets in various spaces and that low light emissions are used, relying on natural light to flood the boardrooms. The Town House, the hotel's restaurant and bar, opened after our visit. The gym is small but well-equipped with a range of cardiovascular machines and free weights. Bathroom products belong to the Aromatherapy Associates brand and are featured in common areas, in addition to guest rooms. There's also a dedicated spa treatment room open from morning to midnight, with in-room massages and manicures upon request.
