The Portobello Hotel

We had a wonderful time at Portobello Hotel when my husband and I stayed in August 2025. The staff throughout were incredibly kind and welcoming. Our room was gorgeous, spacious, and looked out over a lovely garden, though that garden is private to next-door residents and hotel guests can’t use it. The hotel feels classically elegant with a little eclectic twist, and the food and amenities were great. It’s in walkable Notting Hill, around 10-15 minutes from the nearest tube station.

I’ve been coming here now and then for 20 years, and five out of five doesn’t feel like enough. The hosts are brilliant and smart, and the service is great. It’s a wonderful way to get a taste of life in a lovely part of London if you want the Notting Hill feel but can’t quite afford to live there. It isn’t Disneyland. I don’t know what some of the guests below are smoking, or if they’re just miserable.

I slept well in a comfortable bed, and the room was beautiful, quirky, and had a good bath. I couldn’t find a TV, but actually rather liked that. Hopefully the lift is working now, since the stairs were quite a trek. The staff were very kind and carried the bags up for us.

I expected this to be a lovely place for our anniversary based on my research, but dealing with management shocked me. They were rude and dismissive. The house manager initially fixed the issue, then the duty manager eagerly undid that fix. When I tried to sort things out, I got agitation and pushback instead of service. Luckily, we booked through Expedia with free cancellation and could avoid what had become a service nightmare. I can’t recommend booking here. Some guests may have a great time, but when anything gets even slightly complicated, it seems the hotel does too. If you’re unsure, take this as your answer. Don’t let this behavior put you off London itself, though. This isn’t the London we know and love. 🫶🏻🇬🇧