London Kensington Listing - featuring hotels and accommodation located close to Kensington Road, Kensington High Street, Cromwell Road, the Royal Albert Hall, the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrods, the Albert Memorial. Also bed and breakfast, guest houses and hotels near Kensington Palace, the Royal Geographical Society, Imperial College, Westminster Synagogue, Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and the Brompton Oratory. Hotels are also listed near the Royal Marsden Hospital, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Tube stations: South Kensington, Knightsbridge, Gloucester Road, Sloane Square

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Knightsbridge, SW1

The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hyde Park is a five-star luxury hotel located opposite Knightsbridge Underground station, overlooking London's Hyde Park. This puts the hotel on the doorstep of Knightsbridge's opulent shopping district, including Harrods and Harvey Nichols department stores, as well as within walking distance of the Royal Albert Hall and within easy access of London's West End.

The hotel features 198 exquisite guest rooms and suites, some overlooking Knightsbridge or the hotel's inner courtyard, others with fabulous views of Hyde Park. In addition, the Mandarin Hotel provides a choice of function rooms, a business centre, and communal drawing rooms, all for both business and leisure guests.

The Mandarin Bar is a trendy bar, decorated with the intent of a luxury yet residential ambiance, serving every alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink imaginable from coffees and teas to classic whiskeys and lavish cocktails. Restaurant Foliage provides à la carte lunch and dinner in a formal setting, while The Park restaurant offers healthy foods in a more casual decor. Hotel guests also have the option of private (in‑room) dining or picnics in the park.

Other facilities and services inside the hotel include an urban spa, sanarium, gym, pool, holistic therapy, personal training, WiFi, concierge service, room service and complimentary daily newspapers. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is currently engaged in the development of One Hyde Park, a complex of 80 luxury residential apartments adjacent to the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park. Estimated to be completed in 2010, future owners of these apartments will be able to benefit from all facilities of the hotel. Until completion, however, hotel guests may encounter minor inconvenience from the ongoing building works.

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park (Member of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group), 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA
Phone: +44 (0)20 7235 2000 Web: www.mandarinoriental.com

15-16 Prince of Wales Terrace, Kensington, London W8 5PQ
Phone: 020 7937 2345 Fax: 020 7368 6700 Web: www.kenhouse.com E-mail: reservations@kenhouse.com

While the impressive Prince Albert Suite, with a wonderful open fireplace, elaborately carved ceilings and four poster bed may set the standard at this hotel, all the other rooms more than match up! Each room is in fact a wonderful tribute to the taste and intuition of the talented designers for the Red Carnation Group, who are rapidly becoming one of the best hotel groups I know of. Indeed, this hotel won the hotel of the year award 2007 from Travel and Leisure (Conde Nast publishers). The discreet but attentive service, the thoughtful extras, and the style and charm of the rooms add up to an experience which is both elegant and luxurious. Each of the 45 rooms (there are also twelve suites and six long stay apartments with access to hotel facilities) is elegantly furnished with fine fabrics, antiques, fresh flowers, and rare works of art, yet they are all strikingly different: some are decorated more richly, and have a more intimate, homely feel; others look out over the stunning views of Kensington Palace and Gardens. The rooms are serviced twice a day, and the hotel's attention to detail is clear - the maid is not there just to clean and tidy, but to provide those items which will make your visit a special one: home-made cookies, bonbons, chilled mineral water, fruits in season, a weather forecast, your complimentary newspapers, tasty  canapés, candles in the bathroom, and so forth. And while these things may be distracting enough to make your stay a memorable one, there's still plenty of up-to-the-minute technology to keep you in touch, including a high-speed wireless internet connection, movies on demand, interactive TV, and CD jukebox.

The Milestone Apartments combine the luxury of the hotel with privacy and independence. The location is beautiful, and totally accessible to the hotel; there are six individually designed and elegantly appointed two bedroom apartments, in most cases with terraces and balconies, which are absolutely ideal for guests who wish to stay longer. The apartments provide you with a welcome grocery pack, enabling you to be self-sufficient should you wish, but apartment guests can also take advantage of all hotel services including round the clock room service and the butler service.

Dining at The Milestone is also rather special. Whether you choose Cheneston's with its fine mahogany furniture, the relaxing Conservatory, or the fascinating split-level Stables Bar, you can be sure of a relaxed experience and superb food. Chef David Smith and his team serve the finest international cuisine and the best modern British dishes. Whether your choice is creative new cuisine or traditional comfort foods, or if you would like something special created for you, the team will do its best to oblige. If you wish to order something not on the menu, the kitchen will prepare it for you at any time, provided the ingredients are available, which by the way, are mostly organic and locally sourced. Needless to say, there is a fine wine list, with more than four hundred vintages, to accompany the excellent food.
There are other facilities available for your comfort, including the elegantly panelled Park lounge and the fitness centre, with an up-to-the-minute resistance pool and luxurious spa treatments. And best of all, perhaps, the Milestone is only a few minutes' walk from Kensington and Knightsbridge, and a short taxi ride will take you to the West End. The Royal Albert Hall, and the finest museums are also within easy reach. 

1 Kensington Court, London W8 5DL Email: bookms@rchmail.com
Phone: 020 7917 1000  Fax: 020 7917 1010 Web: www.milestonehotel.com

Knightsbridge - Egerton House Hotel (luxury)

This elegant and luxurious townhouse is situated in one of London's most attractive areas, in a delightful, tree-lined street in the centre of Knightsbridge. Located just a short walk from Harvey Nichols, Harrods and the Kings Road, this is the ideal base from which to explore the best London has to offer. The hotel epitomises service, quality and luxury, while the bedrooms are an exquisite expression of style. Each of the thirty fully air-conditioned guestrooms and four studio suites is elegantly decorated and delightfully furnished with hand-chosen antiques and soft colours. Every room is equipped with an exceptionally comfortable Savoir bed, and guests are provided with a luxurious range of toiletries, soft robes and comfy slippers. As you might expect, the rooms feature the very latest entertainment technology, including flat screen TVs with satellite channels, the latest movies on demand, complimentary high speed WiFi Internet access, and music and video iPod and Bose docking stations.

The hotel features a welcoming bar for cocktails and a comfortable, cosy lounge where you can enjoy afternoon tea. The breakfast restaurant offers an excellent Continental and English breakfast, and there is also a tempting 24-hour menu with a wide choice of delicious meals. Private dining is also available.

Located in the heart of Knightsbridge, conveniently close to Hyde Park, Kensington, the excellent museums, superb shopping and all the best West End theatres.

Egerton House Hotel 17-19 Egerton Terrace, London SW3 2BX
Phone: 020 7589 2412 Fax: 020 7584 6540   Web: www.egertonhousehotel.com

Knightsbridge - The Lanesborough (luxury)

A luxury hotel & vegetarian-friendly restaurant. Yes, luxury exists in all fields, and this is the luxury hotel popular with veggies, both those rare veggie rock stars, the slightly more common veggie movie stars, and the very rare indeed veggie C.E.O.'s, as well as more ordinary folk. Mind you, with singles at £285, and doubles at £395 and upwards, you might have to be either a bit eccentric or very well-off indeed to stay here. The royal suite is yours for £5000 a night, plus VAT. And how veggie friendly is it? Judge for yourself, but give prior notice at the time of booking if you want a veggie or vegan breakfast. You can have a 24 hour butler wait on you hand and foot, try out the fitness studio, the spa, and work in the business centre or your room, with free internet access.

The in-house restaurant is called "The Conservatory". It features gourmet vegetarian menus, prepared or at least planned, by chef Paul Gayler. Lunch is £24 for 2 courses or around £27.50 for three courses, while dinner prices depend range from £32 to around £44 per head. The vegetarian a la carte menu may well have vegan options but it's worth checking ahead of time. And there's live music each and every night, with dancing on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7TA
Phone: 020-7259 5599 Fax: 020-7259 5606 For reservations in USA call toll free 1 -800 999 1828, or Fax: 1-800 937 8278 
Web:  www.lanesborough.com

The Cadogan, Knightsbridge, SW1

The stylish Cadogan hotel is located in Sloane Street, Knightsbridge, in the heart of one of London's most luxurious shopping districts and within easy reach of London's West End as well as with great transport links throughout and beyond London. Nearby places of interest include the National History Museum, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and Buckingham Palace.

The interior of this classy property is an interesting infusion of Edwardian with modern, contemporary notes and additions; furnishings and decorations are antiques tastefully mixed and matched with modern European design. Guest accommodation ranges from rooms providing Queen size beds and seating areas to deluxe suites comprising separate living and sleeping areas.

Facilities include a 24-hour business centre, secretarial support services, a small fitness studio, complimentary magazines, fresh fruits and mineral water, complete wedding planning and organisation (the Cadogan is a licensed civil wedding venue), WiFi, gorgeous private gardens and two stunning rooms suitable for private and business functions such as meetings, parties and private dining.

The wood-panelled drawing room situated off the main hotel lobby provides a warm and peaceful communal retreat, with guest having the opportunity to have Afternoon Tea served here, while the dark red & oak panelled and furnished Bar makes a great venue for socialising or pre-dinner and after-dinner drinks. The Cadogan's popular in-house restaurant is Langtry's, a formal dining room offering a simple but excellent modern British menu.

Cadogan London (Member of The Stein Group), 75 Sloane Street London, SW1X 9SG
Phone: + 44 (0)20 7235 7141  Fax: + 44 (0)20 7245 0994  Web: www.cadogan.com

Grosvenor Kensington Hotel - 2/3 stars

The very elegant Grosvenor Kensington Hotel is located in West London, offering convenient access to Earls Court and Olympia. Other nearby attractions include the Natural History museum, the amazing Science museum, and the Victoria and Albert museum.
The hotel has over 100 spacious bedrooms with en suite bathrooms. You can upgrade to a family room or luxury air conditioned luxury room if you wish, though all rooms have cable/satellite TV and movie channels. You might like to work out in the gym with superb cardiovascular and muscle-toning equipment, or relax in the sauna. The hotel offers breakfast and 24 hours a day room service.

The Grosvenor Hotel is a good base for conferences and private functions, with new facilities which can cater for up to 60 people. There are 11 state of the art function rooms.

Grosvenor Kensington Hotel, Harrington Road, London, SW7 3ER
Tel: 020 8859 3333 Web: www.grosvenor-kensington.com

Hilton London Kensington Hotel

Set in the leafy district of Holland Park, the Hilton London Kensington Hotel is 2 miles from Hyde Park and the Royal Albert Hall. Many of London’s popular museums and shopping areas are within walking distance. Accommodation is available in standard rooms, executive rooms and suites. All are en-suite with high-speed Internet access and a large desk. Other features include TV, telephone, mini bar and a daily newspaper.

Guests staying in the executive rooms have access to an exclusive lounge area with free continental breakfast. The suites have a separate living room and benefit from a 21-inch TV with on-demand movies. The hotel’s WestEleven restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner. Enjoy contemporary European cuisine in affluent surroundings, with modern art to admire the walls.

The Am-pm lounge is a more relaxed setting in which you can indulge in a pre-dinner cocktail or enjoy traditional afternoon tea. Other hotel features include a fitness room, 24 hour room service, concierge desk, a luggage hold and laundry service. The staff are multi-lingual, providing an efficient and friendly service. Meeting rooms are available and can accommodate up to 370 delegates.

Hilton London Kensington Hotel, 179-199 Holland Park Avenue, London W11 4UL
Phone: 020 7603 3355 Fax: 020 7602 9397  Web: Hilton London Kensington

Jurys Kensington Hotel

Jurys Kensington Hotel is situated in the heart of fashionable South Kensington. Stylish bistros, cafés and excellent shopping are available on the hotel’s doorstep. The Exhibition centres of Olympia and Earls Court are within walking distance. Other nearby attractions include Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Harrods.

Accommodation comprises of 128 Classic rooms, 42 Executive rooms and 3 Suites. The Classic rooms are en-suite with TV, hairdryer, voicemail, high speed Internet access, trouser press, laptop safe and tea/ coffee making facilities. Air-conditioning is standard. The Executive rooms differ by being more spacious and come with an evening newspaper, mineral water and towelling robe. The Suites are elegantly appointed, spacious, with modem access and a minibar.

The hotel’s Copplestone restaurant offers haute cuisine in luxurious surrounding. The atmosphere is both informal and intimate. Kavanagh’s Irish Bar has a lively ambience. Traditional music sessions provide the entertainment at this popular bar. The Cocktail bar is a great place to relax after a busy day in the city. And Il Barista offers a variety of speciality coffees, teas and freshly baked pastries throughout the day.

With 3 available function rooms, the Jurys Kensington Hotel can host small to medium sized business meetings. They are fully equipped, air-conditioned and naturally lit. Catering is available on request. Other hotel amenities include same laundry and dry cleaning, concierge, safety deposit boxes and 24 hour room service. A public car park is available 5 minutes walk from the hotel.

Jurys Kensington Hotel, 109-113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London, SW7 5LR
Phone: 020 7589 6300 Fax: 020 7581 1492  Web: Jurys Doyle Kensington