The Kensington Hotel
5-star hotel · South Kensington, London
Long Weekend score
StrongNo serious reports. in 258 reviews
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 92% of London hotels
- 87% of guest comments are praise
- 93% of guest photos show no damage
How this score is made
- Rated higher than 92% of London hotels. Compared with 5,640 hotels in London. Counts for 50% of the score.
- 87% of guest comments are praise. 482 praise, 71 complain. Counts for 30% of the score.
- 93% of guest photos show no damage. 56 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.
- $421 a nighttypical for two, before tax · from $314
- 5 min walkto South Kensington station
- 258 guest reviewsfrom the last 2 years
- 60 guest photostheirs, not the hotel's
At a glance
For
- A station within walking distanceSouth Kensington is 388 m away
- Staff206 praise · 11 complain
- Location101 praise · 0 complain
- Breakfast49 praise · 3 complain
- Food45 praise · 4 complain
Against
- On a main road: Old Brompton Road25 m from the building
- Room size20 complain · 10 praise
- Room condition12 complain · 3 praise
- Value9 complain · 7 praise
What guests reported
What guests say
258 reviews from the last 2 years. Most praised: staff (206 guests). Weakest: room size, where 20 of the 30 who mention it complain.
Location1010Strength
Exceptional hotel in great area close to restaurants, shops and tube station.
Tripadvisor, November 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
And the perfect location for exploring London's museums, culture and finest neighbourhoods.
Tripadvisor, February 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Staff20611Strength
Breakfast and lunch are top class and the staff are so helpful and friendly.
Tripadvisor, February 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
From the time we arrived the staff were amazing.
Booking network, December 2025, rated 10/10 by this guest
Amazing Rooms and Views but not so great with their Room Service and horrible staff other than that Top notch location great 👍
Google, May 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Breakfast493Strength
Dinner was lovely and the breakfast is superb.
Google, August 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Breakfast was delectable and we truly loved the whole experience.
Google, October 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
We had breakfast included in our package and the breakfast was so good so don’t miss it, my only suggestion would be that hold the hot food as both mornings we had just received our cereal and the hot food arrived which is a bit silly as the warm food os going cold so that would be my only…
Tripadvisor, December 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Food454Strength
Special thanks and a shout-out to Daniella, who made our dinning experience 6 stars!
Tripadvisor, October 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
The rooms are beautiful, food is great and the location cannot be beat.
Tripadvisor, June 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Avoid the “afternoon tea” which is unexciting, old fashioned and far too expensive for what is on offer!
Tripadvisor, November 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Beds121Strength
Very comfy beds in a beautiful designed bedroom, delicious breakfast and nice atmosphere at the bar, last tip, don’t miss the afternoon tea!
Google, March 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Bed was comfortable and the shower was great.
Booking network, May 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Really enjoyed our stay here, from start to finish we had a pleasant experience our only gripe was we Had an issue with the mattress ,which was lower at the headboard which felt like you were sleeping with your feet above your head ...
Tripadvisor, November 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Cleanliness306Mostly good
The room was clean and amenities were very good.
Tripadvisor, December 2025, rated 5/5 by this guest
Rooms are well appointed, clean and in fine working order.
Tripadvisor, January 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
One of the days the housekeeping didn't clean or replace the glasses.
Booking network, December 2025, rated 10/10 by this guest
Quiet at night195Mostly good
Nice quiet neighborhood with shopping and food options within walking distance.
Tripadvisor, May 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
A nice location at queens gate quiet street.
Booking network, November 2025, rated 10/10 by this guest
After requesting a quiet room as we had just travelled long haul, Was given a room outside the lift.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 6/10 by this guest
Value79Split
Very small rooms were not worth the price.
Booking network, August 2026, rated 5/10 by this guest
Not worth the money - whilst the hotel itself was fabulous, and the guest service, restaurant and bar were excellent, the rooms were poorly decorated and too small and not worth the money spent.
Booking network, September 2025, rated 6/10 by this guest
Very charming, lots of style and character.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 10/10 by this guest
Room size1020Weak spot
Room was very nice but a tad small.
Tripadvisor, May 2026, rated 5/5 by this guest
Very small room and very tiny bathroom
Booking network, August 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Expensive for the very small rooms and outdated building
Booking network, July 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
Room condition312Weak spot
Nice old hotel with staff eager to assist.
Tripadvisor, November 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
the bathroom shower tub is very narrow & old.
Booking network, September 2026, rated 8/10 by this guest
The hotel itself felt a little shabby for the price.
Google, December 2025, rated 4/5 by this guest
Too few mentions to judge: views.
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 1,358 Google ratings
Problems guests raised
Raised most: unexpected charges and refunds, in 5 of 258 reviews.
Unexpected charges and refunds5 of 2581 in 52 reviews
It was very confusing with so many taxes and details we were not aware of
Booking network, November 2025, rated 10/10 by this guest
We had breakfast included but at checkout our bill had a £10 service charge per day for breakfast.
Google, May 2026, rated 3/5 by this guest
Not as shown or booked3 of 2581 in 86 reviews
It was billed as a deluxe family room but it was a king size bed and a camp bed style for our daughter.
Tripadvisor, May 2026, rated 4/5 by this guest
Complaints the hotel left unresolved3 of 2581 in 86 reviews
Absolute catastrophe - no response from management to my complaint
Booking network, May 2026, rated 1/10 by this guest
After I provided feedback, the manager email me and offered a complimentary room for a future stay - I emailed twice, and the manager never responded.
Google, March 2026, rated 2/5 by this guest
Problems in the bathroom3 of 2581 in 86 reviews
Also the glass door didn’t prevent the water from hitting the floor.
Booking network, November 2025, rated 8/10 by this guest
Heating and air conditioning3 of 2581 in 86 reviews
Cold air in room at various occasions
Booking network, May 2026, rated 9/10 by this guest
Serious reports
None found in 258 reviews.
Photos, checked
4 of the 60 guest photos we checked show damage or dirt (7%).
Guests’ photos confirm: restaurant (3), bar (3).
The hotel says it has no swimming pool or hot tub.
Price, place and rooms
Price
$421 is a typical night, from 304 dates checked in the coming year.
Weekends cost 8% more than weekdays
A typical night, month by month
Cheapest month: Jan 2027, $317Dearest month: Jul 2027, $460
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$405
- Vio.com$418
- deals.etrip.net$418
- prestigia.com$438
- evendo.com$441
- clicktrip.com$444
- billabook.com$445
- deals.goseek.com$448
Lowest advertised nightly rate for two adults; taxes and local fees are not included. Shown in US dollars.
Nearby
South Kensington station is 388 m away by road, about 5 minutes on foot. There are 2 bars or clubs within 200 metres.
- Nearest main road: Old Brompton Road25 m
- Nearest shop: Little Waitrose1 min walk87 m by road
- Nearest station: South Kensington5 min walk388 m by road
- Buckingham Palace3.2 km
- Big Ben4.4 km
- The British Museum5.3 km
- Tower Bridge8.4 km
The lines are 5, 10 and 15 minutes on foot.
Distances follow the streets, not straight lines.
Rooms
22 room types, from 12 to 75 m².
- Small Double Room12 m²Sleeps 2Bathtub
- Room (Cosy)13 m²Sleeps 21 Double bed
- Twin Room16 m²Sleeps 1Bathtub
- Classic Room, 1 Queen Bed16 m²Sleeps 2
- Classic Double Room20 m²Sleeps 2
- King Room20 m²Sleeps 2
The other 16 room types
- Deluxe Double Room25 m²Sleeps 3
- Deluxe King Room25 m²Sleeps 3Bathtub
- Deluxe Room, 1 Queen Bed25 m²Sleeps 3
- Studio30 m²Sleeps 21 super-king bed
- Studio Suite30 m²Sleeps 21 Queen bed
- Studio Suite (1 Four Poster Bed)30 m²Sleeps 2
- Family Room33 m²Sleeps 42 Queen bedBathtub
- Luxury Suite34 m²Sleeps 21 super-king bedBathtub in its photos
- Luxury Studio Suite (1 Four Poster Bed)34 m²Sleeps 2
- The Brompton Suite70 m²Sleeps 31 super-king bedBathtub in its photos
- The Knightsbridge Suite75 m²Sleeps 21 super-king bed
- Double RoomNot statedSleeps 3
- SuiteNot statedSleeps 3Not stated
- SuiteNot statedSleeps 3Not stated
- SuiteNot statedSleeps 3Not stated
- Luxury Studio SuiteNot statedSleeps 31 King bed
From the hotel's own room descriptions, checked against each room's photos.
How it compares
How it ranks
Guests who booked rate it 9.4 out of 10. 92% of the 5,640 hotels in London are rated lower, and a typical one is rated 8.2.
Every review site, out of 100
If room condition matters to you
Here, 12 of the 15 guests who mention room condition complain. These nearby hotels do better on it.
More hotels in London
The nearest first, with our score for each.
How we know
258 reviews counted · 100 photos checked · updated 10 October 2026
- We collected this hotel's 748 most recent reviews from Google, Tripadvisor and the Booking network. 258 of them describe a stay in the last 2 years and are the ones counted here; the rest were 179 older, 32 in other languages, 237 with a score but no words and 42 about the restaurant rather than a stay.
- The hotel replied to 196 of its 200 newest Google reviews.
- 33 in every 100 reviews thank a staff member by name.
- 22 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.