Reopening 8th September
Overview
Sitting in the heart of London’s Royal Borough of Kensington, The Kensington is London’s finest townhouse hotel. The hotel is made up of four traditional white Victorian townhouses and feels more like a beautiful private residence than traditional hotel. The Kensington’s suites reflect the epitome of refined luxury and timeless glamour with an exquisite blend of period charm and modern comfort.
Best For
Families, Couples
We love
The hotel’s public spaces effortlessly flow and offer a real home-away-from-home vibe. This includes the hotel’s restaurant, Town House, which is made up of interconnected drawing rooms, bursting with natural light, complete with stylish décor, beautiful art, hand-picked furnishings, open fireplaces and intimate porticos overlooking Kensington’s tree-lined avenues.
Gallery
Location
Kensington is one of London’s most affluent and exclusive neighbourhoods – home to the monarchy at Kensington Palace since 1689 and the official ‘royal borough’ since 1901. Comprising leafy tree lined avenues, garden squares, quaint streets and boutique shopping, it has always been a sought after place to live and visit in London.
The hotel is situated just a short stroll away from three of London’s top museums – The Victoria and Albert, Natural History and Science Museum and is also very close to the Royal Albert Hall, of which the hotel has an official partnership with.
There is also a buzzing café culture and an abundance of restaurants. On a Saturday guests can browse the fresh produce at the weekly South Kensington Farmer’s Market and sample a red velvet cupcake at the internationally renowned, Hummingbird Bakery.
Rooms and Suites
The Kensington is home to 126 rooms and 24 suites, each of which have been individually designed with elegant fabrics and custom furnishings to complement the hotel’s period architecture. For ultimate refined London luxury, guests can choose to stay in either The Brompton Suite or The Knightsbridge Suite – some of London’s most beautiful accommodations, or if this isn’t enough, the two can be combined to create the hotel’s signature suite – The Kensington Suite. This transforms into an incredible 2,000 sq. ft, three-bedroom space with two separate living rooms and striking floor-to-ceiling windows, antique furnishings, original artworks and spectacular 1930s Murano and Waterford Crystal chandeliers.
Style
Historic charm meets sleek contemporary style. High ceilings and heritage décor evoke a sense of Victorian grandeur. The Kensington’s design was overseen by The Doyle Collection’s Chairman Bernie Gallagher alongside the in-house design team and Alexander Waterworth, the east London-based design collective, renowned for their private houses in west London.
Food and Drink
The menu of hotel’s restaurant, Town House, focus on fresh, seasonal, locally-sourced global cuisine with an accent on healthy options, including superfood salads and freshly made juices courtesy of The Juicery.
K Bar is The Kensington’s stylish, elegant and intimate cocktail bar, complete with wood-paneled walls, mood lighting and smoky blue glass ceiling. Leather wingback chairs, teal and violet velvet sofas and tartan accents combine with heritage sports artwork and memorabilia to create a cosy, private members club atmosphere, which is topped off with an impressive menu of fine spirits, wines and cocktails alongside delicious bar snacks.
Not to be missed is The Kensington London Landmarks Afternoon Tea which takes inspiration from London’s most recognisable and historic landmarks. Guests are taken on a tasty foodie tour of some of the capital’s most famous architectural feats from the opulent surroundings of Town House restaurant. The Afternoon Tea is presented on a London Eye-inspired tea stand, served alongside a beautiful bespoke map of London illustrated by Eleni Sofroniou, highlighting the landmarks featured in the tea, which guests can take home with them.
Facilities and Activities
The fresh look of the hotel’s Drawing Room has made it a favourite daytime hangout for its well-heeled west London neighbours – the perfect spot for morning coffee or Afternoon Tea. This unique area, along with Town House, that can be split into two separate spaces – The White Room and The Study, can be hired for intimate meetings, private dinners, weddings and events.
The hotel has a fully equipped gym or for those that prefer the outdoors there is the 242 acres of Hyde Park – run, walk, ride a bike or take it easy rowing a boat on the Serpentine. The hotel offers guests their own Kensington blue Pashley vintage bikes as an alternative to explore the locality, with the option of a picnic prepared by the culinary team.
Contact Information
Website: www.doylecollection.com/hotels/the-kensington-hotel
Address: 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 5LP
