100 Queen's Gate Hotel London Kensington, Curio Collection by Hilton

My wife had a medical reaction to a drug during our stay and needed to be taken to the local emergency hospital. Mohamed, the night manager, was especially helpful: he contacted the UK equivalent of 911 for us, arranged a taxi, and helped us settle back into our room at 3 am. Several employees showed real concern. The staff couldn’t have been more accommodating. Their professionalism was clear in this emergency, and throughout our stay. I highly recommend the hotel.

The buffet breakfast was delicious, and the whole hotel is super clean. The staff are very attentive too. It’s about a five minute walk from one tube station and ten minutes from another, with Kensington Gardens 15 minutes away. A perfect spot in Kensington. I stay here every time I’m in London and love this incredible boutique hotel!

The property is lovely and most of the staff are professional and efficient, but a lot of small shortcomings let the stay down. Check-in itself was very positive. I’d booked a cosy Atrium through Amex Hotel Collection and I’m a Diamond member, hoping either that or my status might get us an upgrade. They said no rooms were available, but Onkar and the front desk team were kind, courteous, and found us the best room they could. The room was small but clean. The kettle didn’t work. Someone came to fix it, but either they couldn’t or the replacement was faulty too. The coffee pods were poor, or the machine needed servicing, because the coffee was undrinkable. Shower pressure was so low I had to hug the pipe to get water on my head. Maintenance fixed it the next day. Housekeeping forgot to empty the bathroom bin, and the provided razor was useless, so I had to go out and buy one. Small issues individually, but together they spoiled the experience. Breakfast was the biggest letdown. The person leading us to a table said “come on quickly” instead of greeting us, which was odd. The filter coffee was cold and disgusting, and the Americano we asked for was bitter and undrinkable too. The scrambled eggs were overcooked, the mushrooms oily and slaughtered, and the bread was low quality with no sourdough, seeded, or other options. The juices tasted artificial, and I wondered what quality hotel uses “anchor” butter. Service at breakfast felt untrained and well below the expected standard. Staff took 15 minutes to clear tables, then dumped the used cutlery into a bucket with a huge racket. Guests had to borrow salt and pepper from each other because staff weren’t around. We left our food and drinks untouched, and nobody seemed bothered. At checkout, we gave this feedback to the F&B Director, who assured us changes were being made. Esq Bar had a good ambience, and Valencio gave good service, but they’d run out of Chivas and he had to find Jameson whisky instead. Not what you expect. It feels like the hotel is Penny wise & Pound Foolish.

The room felt modern, spotless, and had everything we needed. What made the stay especially good was the staff: everyone we met was courteous and warm while still being very professional. The concierge was fantastic, and the front desk team were so friendly and helpful. A beautiful hotel, and I’d gladly recommend it for both the decor and the location.