Last Updated on February 26, 2026
Boutique hotel pays homage to Kensington’s literary history
Newly opened following a multi-million-pound renovation, The Kensington Hideaway is a 59-room, four-star boutique hotel located on Kensington High Street. Its excellent location is one draw, while the beautifully refurbished interior is another. I was invited to review the hotel as it opened. Being the first person to sleep in a hotel room is a novelty I enjoyed, and following a flawless experience, I can recommend The Kensington Hideaway as a bolthole for those on an overnight in London for a show or a meeting, or a weekend break, whether you are having a staycation or travelling from out of town. Even if you do not plan to spend the night, the 1920s-inspired bar and 35-seater restaurant is an elegant place to meet friends for a drink, coffee, or an all-day small plates meal.
The Kensington Hideaway has a literary theme which befits its local neighbourhood, where many literary greats have lived, including William Makepeace Thackeray’s whose home was a few minutes’ walk from the hotel. From the cocktail menu to the room names, literary references are everywhere. Each room has a writer’s name, and there are books aplenty on display.
Walking into the lobby, I was impressed by the colourful interior and its homage to the 1920s. On one wall, a beautifully panelled and mirrored unit held a range of classics by Agatha Christie, T.S Eliot, Henry James, William Thackeray, and P.L. Travers. In amongst the books was an eclectic collection of objets d’art, including sculpted animal heads, jewellery, peacock feathers, and plants, which added greenery. Alongside was the bar with attractive red lacquered shelving. Running above the bar and along the restaurant area was an undulating, sculptural, bronze-hued lighting fixture. The lighting at Kensington Hideaway has evidently been given thorough consideration and is a striking feature of this makeover.
Leather chairs in the lobby are covered in a range of gorgeous colours from purple to orange, while the restaurant area has a wall of red velvet banquettes, tub chairs with floral upholstery and small round, marble-topped tables. Under the banquettes are an array of plugs, which suggests that the management expects people to come in with a laptop while they enjoy a hot drink and something to eat. Cocktails while you tap away on your computer?
The gold and bronze accents in the lobby suggest the luxurious hedonism of the 1920s without becoming gaudy. As you exit the lift upstairs, a sense of style continues with a wonderful black carpet woven with letters. Corridors are an unloved space in many hotels, but at The Kensington Hideaway, the carpets provide interest and inject personality. The rooms are set out in quite a rabbit warren type arrangement, so there are thankfully none of those long corridors you find in large hotels.
Our room was named after P.L. Travers, who wrote the Mary Poppins books. She lived in nearby Chelsea. It is good to think that she might have been inspired by a Kensington nanny. I visited several rooms, and each was beautifully decorated, having unique features from the artwork to the lighting. Room sizes vary from single to double, king, and queen. The king room was bijoux as is standard in many central London hotels. Yet it contained all that was needed for a comfortable stay. The walls were painted a calming sage green, while floor-length curtains had a silky sheen. Pops of colour were added by the tub chair and matching vanity chair with tones of pink and orange in a floral motif. I cannot recall ever coming across an old-fashioned vanity table in a hotel room. The lid lifted to reveal the hairdryer within, and the unit could double as a small desk if you need to do a bit of work. Alongside was a unit with a small hanging area and a shelved section containing the minifridge, tea, and coffee-making equipment. Above the TV was a shelf with photographs of the author, a couple of books and a feather quill.
The artwork behind the beds was a particularly striking feature of all the rooms I visited. In our room, there was a fabric floral print that created a beautiful accent wall. In another room, there was a covetable leather design. A third room had a headboard collage with a literary theme.
The bathroom had wallpaper in a tropical plant motif with a matching shower panel, so that when I stood under the rain shower, I was transported back to sheltering under a similar tree in a Caribbean rainstorm many years ago.
In the evening, we sampled a couple of the signature cocktails, which were not only creative, but the descriptions had me laughing. The Sloane Ranger Spritz (elderflower, olive brine, champagne) was described as ‘floral and probably wearing Ralph Lauren head to toe’. The Gap Yah (rum blend, coconut water, pineapple, cardamom) had ‘spiritual growth sponsored by Dad’s Amex and three weeks in Bolivia’. In addition to the great cocktail list, there was a comprehensive selection of alcohol-free cocktails.
As the hotel was hosting its opening event, the restaurant was not serving its à la carte menu of small plates, but it did offer an all-day selection served from 11 am to 9.30 pm. Items will include sliders, tacos, tiger prawn and crayfish cocktail, Caesar salad, a selection of toasted sandwiches and a few desserts. In the mornings, there will be a continental buffet breakfast, which was not yet available the morning I stayed, and I was happy to order from the à la carte selection. I enjoyed a plate of Turkish eggs served with sourdough, while my husband had the smashed avocado with poached egg.
A five-minute walk from Kensington High Street tube station, The Kensington Hideaway is very convenient for public transport, with many bus routes that pass the hotel. You may want to explore the area on foot, as The Kensington Hideaway has many places of interest on its doorstep. My favourite museums, but a short walk away, are Japan House, with its library open to the public, and the Design Museum. You could easily spend half a day exploring these and have lunch at one of the plethora of restaurants on and around Kensington High Street.
Two further museums worth visiting close by are Leighton House, which is in the nearby Holland Park and home to Sir Frederic Leighton’s famous painting, Flaming June, and Sambourne House, once home to the Punch illustrator, Edward Linley Sambourne. We enjoyed a self-guided walk, seeking out some of the blue plaques in the surrounding area where the writers showcased at Kensington Hideaway once lived. Further literary walks in the area and across London are available to book as part of the annual Literary Footprints Festival throughout March. Book lovers can browse several local bookshops.
The Kensington Hideaway is an elegant, newly refurbished boutique hotel in the centre of West London’s Kensington. The hotel is a lovely addition to the area’s hotel scene and has an inviting, beautiful bar and a small restaurant in which to while away a few hours with a book. There is much cultural interest in the area, as well as outdoor life and a summer opera festival in Holland Park, a few minutes’ walk away. Transport links into central London are close by, with some of London’s loveliest areas such as Notting Hill and Sloane Square only a few stops away on the tube. If you are looking for a classy hotel with easy access to the best of London, The Kensington Hideaway is a good spot for a night or three.
The Kensington Hideaway,
225 Kensington High Street,
London
W8 6SA
Looking for something different? Check out our review of Hintlesham Hall in Suffolk
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