My friend and I just returned from a visit to London and Bath. In London we stayed in 100 Queens Gate Hotel in South Kensington. This was the first time for me at this hotel, typically I stay at Aster House, a lovely B&B recommended by Rick Steves. However, my friend is more of a hotel person and I wanted to stay in South Kensington. We chose 100 Queens Gate for the Location and our ability to use Hilton points for the stay.
I have very mixed feelings about this hotel. Overall, I enjoyed the stay and would stay here again on Points. Here are the highlights and lowlights:
Highlights
- Location: it is just a 7 minute walk to the South Kensington tube station in a lovely neighborhood with local cafes, bakeries, and restaurants. I like South Kensington overall because you feel more like you live in London yet you are very close to all the tourist attractions either by tube or walking.
- Amenities: since this is a Hilton, you have all the amenities of a Hilton hotel. In addition, they have a complementary mini-bar with soft drinks, orange juice, milk (for coffee), waters and they replenish it every day. They also have a Nespresso machine, tea kettle, and a nice selection of English tea.
- Charm: the hotel is in an 1870's Victorian townhouse and the rooms are decorated in a modern version of that style. We stayed in a Queen room with a Queen size bed, small chair, and an even smaller bathroom. It was more than comfortable enough for a 5 night stay,
Lowlights:
- Service: the overall service in the hotel was lacking. While the people working there tried their best, the service was not up to par. It took forever to have someone answer the phone from the front desk. My friend had to finally call from the outside. The staff was friendly, but not knowledgeable about the amenities in the room. We had to get a maintenance person to tell me how to operate the thermostat (in all fairness, it was very complicated).
- Food: we ate twice at the hotel, once when we arrived and once for breakfast. The lunch was okay, if expensive. The breakfast was a large buffet, but it was super pricey (27 £). They didn't tell me and I didn't ask prior. Needless to say, I ate at one of the many lovely bakeries the rest of the trip for breakfast.