Merit Kensington Hotel
4-star hotel · Earl's Court, London
Long Weekend score
Mixed2 serious reports in 299 reviews: something stolen (2)
Guests rate nearly every hotel highly: half the hotels in London are rated 8.2 out of 10 or more. So our score shows how a hotel compares with the rest, not how luxurious it is.
- Rated higher than 34% of London hotels
- 75% of guest comments are praise
- 90% of guest photos show no damage
How this score is made
- Rated higher than 34% of London hotels. Compared with 5,640 hotels in London. Counts for 50% of the score.
- 75% of guest comments are praise. 566 praise, 191 complain. Counts for 30% of the score.
- 90% of guest photos show no damage. 54 of 60 photos. Counts for 20% of the score.
- Serious reports are never counted in. They are flagged beside the score, because one matters even when everything else is good.
- $187 a nighttypical for two, before tax · from $80
- 29 min walkto Earl's Court station
- 299 guest reviewsfrom the last 2 years
- 60 guest photostheirs, not the hotel's
At a glance
For
- A station within walking distanceEarl's Court is 2.2 km away
- Location192 praise · 0 complain
- Cleanliness122 praise · 14 complain
- Room condition50 praise · 8 complain
Against
- Room size72 complain · 19 praise
- Complaints the hotel left unresolved33 of 299 guests
- Heating and air conditioning32 of 299 guests
- Unexpected charges and refunds25 of 299 guests
- Something broken in the room19 of 299 guests
What guests reported
What guests say
299 reviews from the last 2 years. Most praised: location (192 guests). Weakest: room size, where 72 of the 91 who mention it complain.
Location1920Strength
Location was great as Earl's Court is well connected to Heathrow and central London.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Close to the location we wanted
Booking network, June 2026, rated 6/10 by this guest
Cleanliness12214Strength
Really clean and comfortable.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
The Merit is in a perfect location, very clean and has a very high standard of cleanliness.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
The room had a musty scent, the carpet was very old and dirty.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 6/10 by this guest
Room condition508Strength
Room was very modern, clean and comfortable.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
The furnishings are new, but the rooms are very small.
Google, June 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
It’s a bit more modern inside but maybe the carpet is a tad worn out.
Google, October 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Beds319Mostly good
Comfy bed, well appointed bathroom with plenty of toiletries
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Beds and pillows are very uncomfortable, and many of the rooms are on the ground floor or underground, you feel like sleeping on a cave.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 7/10 by this guest
The beds are very hard and like sleeping on the floor.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 4/10 by this guest
Value2813Mostly good
Good value stay in a convenient location
Booking network, September 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Excellent value for money.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Worst hotel in Kensington.
Tripadvisor, September 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Staff7839Mostly good
The staff were wonderful, very helpful with taxi service and having the room ready for a slightly early arrival.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
they was nice but didnt exactly show us where are room was but we managed.
Google, April 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Very lame as our neighbor was a kindergarten that starts at 7 am with morning singing at full speed, the staff are not very helpful and they seem relatively ignorant to your questions and they cannot help with basic things like what was agreed upon when we booked.
Google, February 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
Breakfast1911Mostly good
Nice breakfast but do get it included or pay the day before.
Google, June 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Good breakfast, comfortable beds, and a great location for exploring London.
Google, October 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Facilities are not great, not a four star breakfast and air conditioning in the room was barely working.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 3/10 by this guest
Quiet at night2725Split
The rooms are small; we had one on the ground floor, facing the garden, and at night we could constantly hear the heating running throughout the hotel.
Google, May 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Horrible screaching noise throughout the night.
Booking network, May 2026, rated 4/10 by this guest
Right next to the lift that was used ++ at night - very noisy from arrival sound and squeaking on its tracks.
Booking network, May 2026, rated 3/10 by this guest
Room size1972Weak spot
Room was tiny, but everything needed for single stay, yet there is double bad and very nice, comfortable bathroom with a huge mirror.
Booking network, July 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Modern interior but small space for three beds.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
I was in a single room, which was very very small, but that was to be expected I suppose
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Too few mentions to judge: views and food.
Who stays, and their score out of 10
From every review of the last two years that gives a score and says who travelled, including those with no words.
All 789 Google ratings
Problems guests raised
Raised most: complaints the hotel left unresolved, in 33 of 299 reviews.
Complaints the hotel left unresolved33 of 2991 in 9 reviews
They said they will fix it but they made the smell even worse.
Google, May 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
On reporting this to reception the next morning, there was no responsibility taken at all.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 2/10 by this guest
Heating and air conditioning32 of 2991 in 9 reviews
The air conditioning wasn’t as effective as I would have liked so it was a little warm at night but everything else was perfect
Booking network, August 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
We had difficulty controlling the air conditioning.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Unexpected charges and refunds25 of 2991 in 12 reviews
Ridiculous to take so much money from customers as a hold when we were there for a really short time and the money still isn’t back on my card.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 6/10 by this guest
After I reserved the room and my reservation was nonrefundable I was surprised by a mail telling me I have to pay 100£ as a security
Booking network, May 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Something broken in the room19 of 2991 in 16 reviews
Staff was very impolite, room was too small, most plugs were not working, poor air con
Booking network, June 2026, rated 6/10 by this guest
We were unlucky that the air conditioning in the room wasn't working, which was really annoying, and that there were roadworks in the street which woke us up early.
Google, July 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Not as shown or booked13 of 2991 in 23 reviews
Looked bigger on pictures.
Booking network, June 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
the bed me and wife were on, looks like 1 bed in photo, its 2 mattresses side by side underneath the covers LOL
Google, May 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Problems in the bathroom7 of 2991 in 43 reviews
The beds are super hard, there is no hot water in the evenings or mornings so you can only shower around mid day, there is no sound insolation to the corridor and the elevator is quite loud in the room.
Google, October 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
Shower plug was blocked and overflowed.
Tripadvisor, January 2026, rated 1/5 by this guest
Serious reports
2 in 299 reviews, most common first. Shown beside the score, never averaged into it.
Something stolen2 of 299 reviews
I stayed 5 days and had my room entered even with a do not disturb sign and my property taken from staff.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 2/10 by this guest
These are guests' own accounts from their reviews. We have not verified them, and the hotel may dispute them. A report is counted only when the guest says it happened at the hotel and holds the hotel responsible.
Photos, checked
6 of the 60 guest photos we checked show damage or dirt (10%).
Guest photos showing damage or dirt6 of 6010%
Of 60 guest photos, 6 show damage or dirt: dirty surfaces in 3, rust or limescale in 1, broken fittings in 1 and litter or dirty water in 1, and some photos show more than one. Of the hotel's own 40, 0 do.
Guests’ photos confirm: restaurant (2).
The hotel says it has no swimming pool, spa, gym or hot tub.
Price, place and rooms
Price
$187 is a typical night, from 304 dates checked in the coming year.
Weekends cost 10% more than weekdays
A typical night, month by month
Cheapest month: Jan 2027, $97Dearest month: Jul 2027, $233
Prices on booking sites, the day we checked
What each seller advertised on the one day we checked, so these sit outside the year-wide figures above and can fall below the typical price.
- Super.com$200
- deals.goseek.com$203
- deals.etrip.net$203
- stayforlong.co.uk$209
- hutchgo.com$211
- traveluro.com$213
- billabook.com$216
- amimir.com$216
Lowest advertised nightly rate for two adults; taxes and local fees are not included. Shown in US dollars.
Nearby
Earl's Court station is 2.2 km away by road, about 29 minutes on foot. There are 3 bars or clubs within 200 metres.
- Nearest shop: M&S Simply Food1 min walk65 m by road
- Nearest main road: Earl's Court Road97 m
- Nearest station: Earl's Court29 min walk2.2 km by road
- Buckingham Palace5.2 km
- Big Ben6.4 km
- The British Museum7.2 km
- Tower Bridge10.4 km
The lines are 5, 10 and 15 minutes on foot.
Distances follow the streets, not straight lines.
Rooms
17 room types, from 10 to 22 m².
- Deluxe Single Room10 m²Sleeps 1
- Double or Twin Room10 m²Sleeps 2
- Budget Double Room10 m²Sleeps 2
- Double or Twin Room10 m²Sleeps 2
- Double Room10 m²Sleeps 2
- Budget Single Room10 m²Sleeps 1
The other 11 room types
- Classic Double Room12 m²Sleeps 2
- Deluxe Double or Twin Room15 m²Sleeps 2
- Deluxe Double Room15 m²Sleeps 2
- Deluxe Double Room with Extra Bed15 m²Sleeps 3
- Superior Double Room18 m²Sleeps 2
- Deluxe Triple Room18 m²Sleeps 31 Queen Bed + 1 Twin bed
- Superior Double or Twin Room18 m²Sleeps 2Bathtub
- Superior Triple Room20 m²Sleeps 31 Twin bed + 1 super-king bed
- Suite with Garden View22 m²Sleeps 21 super-king bedA view, going by the room's name
- Superior Quadruple Room22 m²Sleeps 42 Twin bed + 1 Queen bed
- Premium suite double/twin with a garden viewNot statedSleeps 3A view, going by the room's name
From the hotel's own room descriptions, checked against each room's photos.
How it compares
How it ranks
Guests who booked rate it 7.9 out of 10. 34% of the 5,640 hotels in London are rated lower, and a typical one is rated 8.2.
Every review site, out of 100
29 Google reviewers ticked "Quiet", yet 25 guests complain about noise, and Earl's Court Road runs 97 m away.
If room size matters to you
Here, 72 of the 91 guests who mention room size complain. These nearby hotels do better on it.
More hotels in London
The nearest first, with our score for each.
How we know
299 reviews counted · 100 photos checked · updated 12 October 2026
- We collected this hotel's 888 most recent reviews from Google, Tripadvisor and the Booking network. 299 of them describe a stay in the last 2 years and are the ones counted here; the rest were 105 older, 123 in other languages and 361 with a score but no words.
- The hotel replied to 0 of its 200 newest Google reviews.
- 0 in every 100 reviews thank a staff member by name.
- 7 reviews mention a free upgrade, a cake or a gift.
- We looked at 100 photos: the first 40 of the hotel's own and the 60 newest from guests.
- Every number on this page is counted, not estimated. Anything in quotation marks is a guest's own words.