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The Ampersand boutique hotel in South Kensington – Review

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Last Updated on January 29, 2020 by Fiona Maclean

Boutique Hotel in South Kensington – The Ampersand

When you visit a city  like London you want to be close to the action – to the culture, the shopping, the restaurants – all the things that make a city’s heart beat…Ampersand Boutique Hotel South Kensington
 
Invited to review The Ampersand, I was aware of the typographically influenced name but no more than that. The hotel’s location turns out to be in the heart of South Kensington, a part of London that I love for its urbane, continental style. Long the spiritual heart of the city’s French community, ‘South Ken’ as it’s known to locals is a London ‘quartier’ brimming full of boutiques, restaurants and specialist food shops; and with easy connections to Heathrow Airport and Eurostar from South Kensington tube station – handily just across the street from The Ampersand –  the hotel is a perfect destination for all visitors to London.
 
Within the immediate neighbourhood, you can find the V&A, Natural History Museum and many other of London’s most popular museums. For music fans, The Albert Hall is a short walk away and London’s premier shopping areas – Knightsbridge’s Harrods and Harvey Nichols, Hyde Park, Chelsea and the Kings Road are all just a few minutes by cab or underground.
 
Ampersand sitting room - Boutique Hotel South Kensington
 
 The hotel opened in summer 2012 but the building is Victorian, dating back to 1889. Originally called The Norfolk it would have cost you 2’6″ (in old money) or 60 cents for American guests to stay. Now a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group prices are a little higher… but still offer good value for the location.
 
Ampersand lobby - boutique hotel London
 
What I love about The Ampersand is the way the hotel takes inspiration from its local neighbourhood; from the design of the interiors with the soft furnishings reflecting the contents of the Natural History Museum, to the Science Afternoon Tea which takes its influence from The Science Museum and which my daughter helped to review a few years ago!
 
Ampersand Bedroom - Boutique Hotel South Kensington
 
The design approach is carried through to The Ampersand’s 111 bedrooms and suites with five separate concepts – botany, music, geometry, ornithology and astronomy – defining the interiors. So depending on your interests you can choose a room to suit. I had been invited to stay in a Deluxe Room featuring ornithologically-inspired interiors, a super-comfortable king-size bed with an oversized velvet bedhead and top quality bed linen. On a cold winter’s night, it felt like a warm and cosy refuge from the world, with plenty of room to relax but without losing that sense of being in an intimate space.

Ampersand l'occitane

Rooms all feature complimentary WiFi, tea/coffee making facilities, soft drinks, 24-hour room service, LCD TVs with movies on demand, a media hub, laptop safe and air-conditioning. In a nod to the local French influence, toiletries are by L’Occitane.

Ampersand bathroom - Boutique Hotel London

The bathroom was like a Dior dress, petite, chic and clad in black and white; and the quirky addition of a rubber duck meant that my solo bath time was more playful than it otherwise would have been.

Ampersand breakfast 1

After a blissful night’s sleep, I strolled down to Apero – The Ampersand’s Mediterranean restaurant –  for breakfast. With cooked options also available, the buffet was the best I have seen in a long time. Everything was homemade and really fresh – my tortilla was excellent!

Ampersand

London has thousands of hotels but if you are looking for a boutique hotel that is both quiet and central, has a strong sense of individuality combined with great service and an attention to comfort and detail, then The Ampersand is well worth looking at.

Boutique Hotel London - The Ampersand Hotel South Kensington

The Ampersand Hotel

10 Harrington Rd,
Kensington,
London SW7 3ER

For more great places to stay do check our recommended boutique hotels in London and the UK

About Adrian York

Musician, academic and writer Adrian York is a keen observer of restaurant culture and the gastronomic scene. His spiritual home is Soho where he is mostly to be found playing the piano, propping up a bar or holding forth about politics, art and culture from behind a restaurant table with a linen napkin on his lap and a glass of champagne in his hand.

Comments

  1. Gingey Bites says

    I find hotel breakfasts can be so disappointing, even in nice places so it’s great to hear that this is a good one! The rooms look great, I like the styling and that bed looks VERY comfy!

    Reply

  2. The girl next door says

    London has always been on my list of must-visit places. I’d love to stay at Ampersand whenever we get around to planning that trip – the place looks and sounds incredible! 🙂

    Reply

  3. Kavita Favelle says

    This looks really lovely. Friends of mine who travel to London regularly and particularly love South Kensington will definitely appreciate this hotel, the location is excellent and I really like the styling of the rooms and public spaces. And that neighbourhood is so good for museums, lots of restaurants and great public transport links.

    Reply

    • Fiona Maclean says

      This one is right by the tube too, yet not on that really busy bit of road. Definitely worth trying the afternoon tea if you haven’t done so already – I think it might appeal to your inner child Kavey!

      Reply

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