Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
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Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
The stylish Holiday Inn London Kensington High Street is located in a quiet spot close to the shops of Kensington High Street just a few minutes walk from the nearest tube underground station. Following an extensive multi million pound refurbishment the hotel offers 706 modern guest rooms all equipped with high speed WiFi Internet connection along with a host of other modern amenities and features stylishly and thoughtfully designed, Located in the back of the hotel a stunning private garden awaits you. Or enjoy our Health Club which has a full length swimming pool Whirlpool sauna steam room treatment rooms and a fully equipped gym. Kensington Health Club and Spa provides a great contrast from the hustle and bustle of the city by providing our guests with a luxurious tranquil retreat. We can provide you with an escape from the stress of everyday life and give you your own space where you can listen to your body and indulge accordingly in the great facilities it has to offer.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
3,661 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
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The Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St. offers a range of comprehensive amenities, including diverse dining options, a well-maintained pool, and a clean spa, which guests generally appreciate despite the smaller room sizes. While some visitors have encountered noise issues, many have enjoyed peaceful nights of rest. The hotel's cleanliness and modern rooms receive positive remarks, although there are calls for bathroom improvements.
Staff are commended for their professionalism, but value is a point of contention, with some guests feeling the cost does not match their expectations. The atmosphere strikes a balance between cozy charm and modern elegance, with some areas appearing dated. Room size and noise are common criticisms, but the hotel's prime location garners praise for its convenience to public transport and attractions.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Welcoming
Rooms
Cramped
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Clean
Noise level
Mixed
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Comprehensive
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We stayed at this hotel for a quick 24 hour stop in London post-flight from the US. We booked the trip on less than 24 hours notice so we weren't too picky with hotels, but I'm very glad we found this one.
The staff were friendly and helpful, the hotel was clean and in a great location (5 minute walk from the Tube and shops).
The room was a King, nothing special but the bed was comfortable and there was AC (very good as it was quite hot when we were in the UK). The bathroom was a bit tight but did the job with good shower pressure (a plus after 30 hours of travel)!
This is also a hotel used by flight crews so you'll see lots of airline staff there. To me this is a good sign that the hotel is consistent in the service we received.
Next time we're in London we'll certainly consider this hotel again (if not looking to try a new neighborhood).
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel is absolutely exquisite. Comes with great uplifting decor, gorgeous spacious rooms that provide excellent standards of cleanliness and comfort, sensational lounging/reception area with soft sofa’s for seating and a trendy bar serving food and drink. It is within easy reach of the high street, (only 2 minutes) which is another bonus to staying here. But in saying all of this, it will never be the lovely place that it is without the great staff that made us feel so welcomed right from the start and made our stay even more special.
Special thanks goes to Nora our first port of contact (Receptionist) who greeted us with a lovely, genuine smile. Her manner was impeccable on reception, she communicated information upon our booking very well and worked excellently to ensure that we were at ease with all that she advised.
We will never forget Joseph Delaxega (Restaurant Manager) who went the extra mile to ensure that our food was top quality, and served promptly. Not only admired his professionalism, his friendly and approachable personality was also very appealing. The rest of the catering staff gave great service too, Nacho,( waiter) we adore you! great the way you kept on checking in on us and came to see to our orders quickly. Merty, (Main Chef) your food is delicious, thanks for all your hard work in producing such a great variety for all, and Anna (Restaurant Manager) for working so well with your team to create a happy working environment that reflects in the way that they work to serve customers who dine at this hotel.
Last but in no way the least, a massive thank you to Ali Anwar ( Hotel Manager) for your fantastic operation of this hotel, the lovely staff and beautiful spotless rooms is simply a reflection of your high standards. Thanks for taking care of us, we will be coming back again for sure.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from HiLondon_Kensington, Manager at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 17 Feb 2020
Hi KNubian77, Thank you for your kind review! I truly appreciate your kind words about our staff . It's definitely a boost for us every time we hear positive reviews such as this. We will be sure to let all our colleagues know that they made an impact during your stay. We aim to deliver a high level of service and is great to see our efforts are being recognised. We are all looking forward to welcome you back to the hotel soon and take good care of you! All the best, Guest Service Manager
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I just wanted to thank all the staff at the Holiday Inn Hotel, High Street Kensington, for making my son and I feel very welcome during our recent three night stay. From the moment we arrived the doorman was professional and welcoming, as were the reception staff, bar staff, housekeeping staff, those by the spa/swimming pool and the man serving in Starbucks. Our room was very clean and equipped with useful items such as an iron and ironing board and hairdryer. The swimming pool was lovely too. The location is excellent - just a few minutes walk to the tube and a variety of buses serving various parts of the city. Would definitely recommend staying here. Also, the nearby London Thai Terrace Restaurant and Muffin Man Cafe are worth frequenting.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Services, Owner at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 27 Aug 2020
Hi gillatacocugu, Thank you for taking the time to share these wonderful words . We are very happy to know you like the hotel and that the team managed to enhance your experience . We all look forward to welcome you back whenever your travel plans will allow you to . Best wishes , Cata
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No. Cheap stay with a great location but customer service/staff ruin it. Now, I'm not one to moan, but is it toomuch to ask for a smile? Should i have to ask twice a day for my entire stay to have the batteries replaced in my TV remote so my 6 year old could chill out after a busy day in London and watch TV? And the flickering light bulb, told to turn the light off if it was bothering me, yet it's the only main light? "Means I'll have to get my ladder, just turn if off if it's bothering you!". 45 minute check in que. Offered complimentary use of the swimming facilities for my entire stay only to be challenged about this every single time we used the pool. Don't ask a member of the breakfast team for an omelette or for pancakes on a morning, the filthy look and sigh you get when you do means it's obviously toomuch hassle then it's worth. The room is tiny, which didn't worry us that much as in it to sleep but hanging space for 1 maybe 2 dresses due to huge unused fridge in our wardrobe? Oh and no drawers just 1 shelf small shelf in another cupboard means there's knowhere to put your clothes. Petty perhaps but worth a mention, huge mirrored sliding door to the bathroom too heavy for a child to open so leave it open at night incase they need to use it. Wasn't advised £50 would be taken from me at check in. Bear this in mind! and not advised it's £5 per adult per day to swim! However i did get this complimentary but if i hadn't i would had been annoyed! I've never stayed at a hotel that charges to use the pool!
Postives is the location, 100m to Kensington High Street station that runs on circle line so takes you directly to all the major attractions and sights. Also about 3 stops away from Paddington Station. Price inc breakfast was good for London Central as well.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Perfect location if tourist. Opp. Kensington Palace and gardens. Tube station and circle line...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Services, Owner at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 1 Oct 2021
Dear jesscole287, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review following your recent stay here at Holiday Inn - Kensington High Street. I would like to pass on my sincerest apologies for the stay not being up to a satisfactory standard and definitely not up to our usual level of service which we strive to provide. Should you ever wish to return to the hotel, we would love to host you once again to show that this stay was an anomaly. Kind regards, Savy
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I attended the BBC Proms and some other musical events in London on 3 occasions during the BBC Proms 2021 season on each occasion spending between 1 and 3 nights at the Holiday Inn Kensington Hight Street.
The location was ideal within a 15 minute leisurely walk to the Royal Albert Hall and 5 minutes walk to High Street Kensington underground station and Kensington high street , Hyde Park and museums (V&A,Science and Industry and Natural History museums)
The room was perfect, and as on each occasion the weather was 28c+ and humid the room was air conditioned but this was hardly used as the room itself was sufficiently cool with the windows open.
I made use of the hotel's swimming pool (18m) being able to do laps and it wasn't overly busy (max 5 people in the pool) with early mornings (06:15am) there were only 2 of us in the pool for an hour. The pool and gym were open from 06:15am to 10:00pm monday-friday.
The staff were very friendly particularly the receptionist (Meryem) who took time to explain the facilities and from an environmental perspectiive i was able to specify my linen didn't require changing daily as i was staying 3 nights i did not require my linen changing for which they supplied me with a couple of free drinks vouchers for the hotel bar.
The only downside was (as with the majority of hotels) they provided the shower gels and shampoos in small plastic tubes. It would have been more environmentally friendly if they either gave the guests the choice not to have these when they booked or did away with completely and replaced with refillable dispensers as they had in the gym/pool changing rooms
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:I stayed in rooms on the 4th and 7th floors, all we equally quiet, cool (without using air...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Services, Owner at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 19 Sept 2021
Dear BBCProms, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review following your recent stay here at Holiday Inn - Kensington High Street. We are really pleased to see that we have been able to score a 4 out of 5stay! We cannot wait to have the chance at hosting you again, should you wish to return. Kindest regards, Savy
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On route we contacted the hotel to check the parking options and we were informed that there was parking at a rate of £45 for 2 days so we proceeded. To our disappointment we were informed on arrival at reception that the parking was £45 per day and the hotel doesn’t manage the car park it’s a private company and the hotel has no control over the charges so we had to unload my car and we’d have find other arrangements as soon as we had checked into our room. So with the help of a Porter and not the reception we loaded the luggage trolley up 8 floors to our room / cupboard and unpacked to find the bathroom had not been cleaned properly so it was back down to reception to inform the receptionist of this matter. So he apologised and offered us an upgrade to much better and bigger room and it was then we were informed there would be a £5 additional charge to use spa . We then had to pack all our luggage again and move up a floor to unpack into the new 0room and then to I had to go back down to move my car and try and find a suitable option , luckily enough there’s 5 public car parking spaces and one of them was available so I parked my car there £6 for the hour and free from 18;30hrs until 08:30hrs that gave me the night sort the parking out and thanks to the friendly porter again he gave me the heads up to park my car in the COPTHORNE TARA HOTEL next door who charged me £29 for 24 secure covered parking so problem solved. Apart from the issue with the room and the parking there was another issue with the SPA there’s no mention of the additional £5 charge each to use these facilities and the pool had a survival swimming lessons which made it impossible to swim , the jacuzzi was shut so the only option was the steam was busy and uncomfortable so not worth the £10 again we challenged the man behind reception and he informed us yet again the hotel does manage the spar pool or gym as like the car park they are run independently by an outside management company so they don’t take responsibility for any complaints or grievance’s not what you want to hear when you have a valid point. The best things about the hotel was the up grade which was a default as the first room was a cupboard and the Porter who couldn’t do enough for us and the location was great because we would take a black cab into London and the walk back the 3 /4 mile taking in the sight and sounds and the pubs and bars taking a pit stop when necessary .
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Date of stay: December 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Park in the Copthorhe TARA hotel next as it’s much cheaper parking and the standard double room...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Services, Owner at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 13 Jan 2022
Dear Emma, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review following your recent stay here at Holiday Inn - Kensington High Street. We are really pleased to see that we have been able to score a 4 out of 5 stay! We cannot wait to have the chance at hosting you again, should you wish to return. Kindest regards, Any
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I have booked a stay from groupon offer for my birthday and it was a major disappointment.
Whole ambient of the hotel looks old, but not good style old just out of date and not renovated for too long, staff was not very professional, didn't provide enough information and wasn't too friendly as for usual hotel experience. Rooms and bathrooms were small and old style again, there was no hairdryer not enough washing products just for one person not for two. TV had couple not very good channels. There was a small fridge in a room but empty.
We had offer with a two course dinner and we both got sick after eating it (we had a burger with sweet potato fries and chocolate fudge). None of those even tasted good.
Then we had an access to a leisure area which looked like an old facilities and was full all the time so not very fun to use. Cleaning staff tried to enter our room couple times when we were still in it (we still had couple hours to leave) and we were loudly trying to inform to not enter. When cleaning lady asked about hairdryer she seemed to not understand what I was saying (poor language skills). When I tried to call "room service" and similar channels on the phone it was all the time busy.
Overall the worst experience I had in any hotel, I do not recommend to anyone.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IHG Service, Owner at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 17 Aug 2021
Hello nataliadyb, Thank you for your patronage of Holiday Inn London - Kensington High Street. Our hotel provides a place to enjoy a quality stay where everyone in the family can enjoy. We have received your message, and I'm sorry for the problem you had with our staff, housekeeping, and dinner, among other things. I hope your ok now and understand your disappointment with these matters and assure you that this does not represent our standards. I sent a private message to discuss your stay further. I have also shared your review with our managers. They will review everything that has happened and take the proper steps to prevent these issues from happening again. We invite you to visit us in your future stay so we can change your mind about us. Our best regards, Oscar C. Case Manager IHG Service
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We stayed here to visit Tutankhamen exhibition ( which was brilliant) I’d seen bad reviews of this place and was dubious as this was part of bus trip deal. Our room was tiny, we had to walk sideways at bottom of bed as there was hardly any space between bottom of bed and shelf with kettle, also the tv was above the kettle. Windows were dated with seals broken so draft came in, heating was rubbish our room was freezing, we weren’t the only ones on our trip who said this. Bathroom was a joke, toilet so close to wall and bath, you had to sit with your knees together to use it. Cabinet in bathroom so small to store items, no shelf to put stuff on other than windowsill with grimy window, only joy king size bed was comfortable, weird quilt though, padding ended on edge of bed with a sheet like edge to cover. Breakfast was typical of this type of place, glad it was part of our tour because £17:95 is a ridiculous price, would we go back never and if this is the standard of holiday inns won’t be booking any more holiday inns
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from HiLondon_Kensington, Manager at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 18 Mar 2020
Dear susanbP728OE, Thank you for taking the time to leave us some feedback following your recent stay here at Holiday Inn - Kensington High Street. Firstly, we would like to thank you for choosing to stay with us. We really appreciate the comments of which you have left us but please do accept our apologies for the inconveniences you faced, these shall be passed onto the relevant departments to further investigate the raised concerns. Should you ever wish to return to the hotel, all of us here at Holiday Inn would love to welcome you back for another and more memorable, comfortable stay. Kind regards, Sam Guest Services
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We enjoyed our stay at this hotel, except for the issues with cleaning. The staff were all friendly, nice breakfast, gym/pool are lovely. The main issue for us was the house keeping and reception staff. You can decide to opt out of a full clean for every day of your stay to help the environment (so bed sheets aren’t changed every day, but you still get clean towels and more loo roll each day) and in return you get free drinks vouchers to use at the hotel. We decided to do this but as we were there for 7 nights we wanted the bed sheets changing in the middle of our stay so we didn’t opt out for the one day. However, even after talking to reception on 5 separate occasions, for the first 5 days of our stay we never had new towels or loo roll (we had to keep asking reception for some) and the sheets were not changed during the middle of the stay. This became really frustrating as we felt we were not getting value for money and despite going to reception multiple times it wasn’t getting sorted. House cleaning finally came to our room for the first time on the 6th day, which felt a little too late. I’m unsure on how well the room was cleaned initially too, as when we arrived there was someone else’s false eyelashes in a glass in the bathroom. Despite the cleaning and reception issues, everything else was good. The location is great with the underground and lots of restaurants at the end of the road. I’d recommend this hotel for 2-3 nights, but i feel the cleaning was not adequate enough for a long stay.
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Guest Services, Owner at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 21 Sept 2021
Dear hattyb97, Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review following your recent stay here at Holiday Inn - Kensington High Street. I would like to pass on my sincerest apologies for the stay not being up to a satisfactory standard and definitely not up to our usual level of service which we strive to provide. Should you ever wish to return to the hotel, we would love to host you once again to show that this stay was an anomaly. Kind regards, Savy
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First the good points, this is a nice hotel in a good location, and the executive room i was upgraded to was spacious and well appointed. However the room had not a single USB Port, when I questioned this with reception they told me there were indeed ports by the bed, but I can tell you that room 2089 does not have any!
When I checked in I was switched from one person to another because the lady was “busy”, the second receptionist was very pleasant but could not get her printer to work so we had to move a third time. I ordered breakfast, which was not included in my rate, and all was well. When I went for breakfast my booking was not on the system, I went to reception where the manager explained that it was my fault and gave me a scribbled note to take to the restaurant, no apology or eye contact.
When checking out I was asked about my stay and the desk supervisor took charge and was very apologetic, she managed to calm the situation sufficiently that I might just consider returning to this hotel in the future, I had originally planned against this so she did well.
Breakfast by the way was OK, slightly more choice than an Express, though I did have to ask for a replacement cup as mine was badly (dangerously) chipped
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from HiLondon_Kensington, Manager at Holiday Inn London - Kensington High St., an IHG Hotel
Responded 18 Mar 2020
Dear john t, Thank you for taking the time to leave us some feedback following your recent stay here at Holiday Inn - Kensington High Street. Firstly, we would like to thank you for choosing to stay with us. We really appreciate the comments of which you have left us, these shall be passed onto the relevant departments to further investigate the raised concerns. Should you ever wish to return to the hotel, all of us here at Holiday Inn would love to welcome you back for another and more memorable, comfortable stay. Kind regards, Sam Guest Services
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There are more places to choose from in the London area.
PRICE RANGE
$233 - $521 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
kensington close london, hotel kensington close, kensington close hotel london
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Kensington Close Hotel
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandLondonEarls Court / South Kensington
NUMBER OF ROOMS
706
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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