The Best Hotels to Book Near Kensington Palace, London

Velvet reds combine with jazzy furnishings and contemporary art to create a sense of liveliness in the 21 petite rooms of the Hux Hotel. This modern boutique, on the corner of Kensington Gardens, provides guests with VIP access to the Hux Bar, where late-night piano sessions and live jazz acts are fuelled by an endless stream of champagne and G&Ts. Get a good start in the morning with a veggie breakfast or eggs benedict, before exploring the best that Kensington has to offer.

Guests at the heritage-listed Milestone Hotel & Residences can choose between 43 deluxe, luxury rooms, 13 luxury suites and six-long term stay apartments – the best of which overlook the royal gardens of Kensington. Book a body scrub at the spa to unwind, take a dip in the indoor swimming pool and enjoy a fine dining dinner of truffle chips, Cornish lamb or Dover sole at Cheneston’s Restaurant. When the sun is shining, ask the hotel’s concierge for a hand-picked wicker basket picnic, and you’ll be able to enjoy a regal afternoon tea of cucumber sandwiches and prosecco in Kensington Gardens.

The Baglioni Hotel London brings the flavours of Italy to the streets of Kensington through a delectable mixture of Mediterranean cuisine, sharp espressos and five-star Italian hospitality and services. Executive suites at the Baglioni Hotel London offer terrace views over Kensington Gardens, while the Baglioni Spa provides a morning massage and Italian breakfast to start your day. Don’t forget to reserve your table at Brunello Bar and Restaurant, where Milanese-inspired risotto and peas sit on the menu next to Scottish cod with Italian cannellini beans.

The Gore London – Starhotels Collezione has been entertaining Kensington’s finest since 1892. This luxury boutique has just 50 rooms, each of which has been individually designed and styled, featuring hand-picked antiques and historic furnishings. This is Britishness at its most quintessential, so much so that the hotel’s Bar 190 was the scene of a Rolling Stone’s album launch back in the ’60s. The menu at the Gore London’s 190 Queen’s Gate restaurant was designed by a Michelin-star chef and features poultry game terrine to start, followed by crispy pork belly and roasted apple, with cheese platters to finish.

Drawing on the bohemian, cosmopolitan vibes of Notting Hill, the Laslett is a colourful boutique hotel that offers contemporary style in heritage-listed Victorian townhouses. The Laslett’s 51 rooms and suites are decorated with vintage furnishings, local artworks and collections of classic Penguin books that can be read at your leisure. Revitalise your immune system with an afternoon session in the hotel’s Recharge Rooms, where you can sample vitamin drips and ozone saunas for a much needed energy boost. The Henderson Bar is dedicated to the founder of the annual Notting Hill Carnival, and you can order up a Henderson’s Rum Punch or enjoy a Portobello Spritz.

The Meliá London Kensington, located in a vintage townhouse on Gloucester Road, is a beautiful mix of modern British style and classic Victorian heritage. This four-star boutique hotel provides everything from compact yet bright single rooms for solo travellers, through to extravagantly sized master suites for families and the flamboyant. Guests can enjoy British classics alongside Mediterranean dishes, as well as signature cocktails and Spanish tapas at the SW7 Brasserie & Bar.

If you’re looking for something a little homelier during your stay in London, book an apartment at the Space Apart Hotel. Located within a wonderfully refurbished six-floor, Georgian-era townhouse just a short walk from Kensington Gardens, the Space Apart Hotel’s fabulous apartments feature fully functional kitchens and stylish bathrooms. Standard apartments are perfect for a travelling couple, while the triple apartment is equipped for three adults or a family.

If convenience is important when you’re planning your trip to Kensington Palace, then check into the Devonshire Hotel London, situated just a few steps away from London Paddington station and just a five-minute walk from the northern edge of Hyde Park. The hotel’s 35 boutique rooms offer stylish wooden surfaces and wonderfully contrasting colours, as well as super-comfortable beds and the bonus of a microwave for some budget London meals. Breakfast is served across the road at the Park Grand Paddington Court, where you can choose between a continental buffet or an Indian feast.