Best Western Kensington Olympia Hotel

The hotel is near West Kensington station, with plenty of places to eat and a supermarket nearby for everyday things. It's an easily accessible choice for travellers. I stayed two nights in a standard room on a short London trip. The room was small but clean, which mattered to me. I arrived early, and Chitra at the front desk was cheerful and courteous while helping me check in. She also shared useful information about London sights.

We booked a double room and made clear we were two friends sleeping separately, but the room was like a shoebox, with a bed that felt made for one and a half people. It was pushed against the wall, so you couldn't get in from both sides. The bathroom door wouldn't close properly from inside, and the TV picture was scrambled. Then the AC started making loud noises in the night and woke us up for about 30 minutes. I don't usually leave reviews, but this was pretty terrible. They didn't even have real butter at breakfast.

I spent three weeks here, and the staff's warm welcome and care helped me feel much safer and more settled. I don't travel alone often, so I was nervous at first. The reception and housekeeping teams were exceptionally kind and always ready to help. The room was small, but that felt understandable given UK prices and the hotel's very safe area. It was cozy rather than inconvenient, thanks to the staff's thoughtfulness. The one downside was no fridge in the room. There is a supermarket nearby that stays open late, and I could order essentials on Uber even in the early hours, so it wasn't a major problem for a longer stay. If I return to the UK, I'd definitely choose this hotel again.

The staff were pleasant, but requests for more tea and coffee went nowhere. They also said they’d ordered us a taxi, but it turned out they hadn’t. We only discovered the room details once we arrived, and won’t be staying again. It was ridiculously cramped: we had to turn sideways to get around the bed, and with two suitcases and two people, even reaching the tiny shower room was a struggle. Only one person could fit in there at a time.