Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Kensington

This year, I organised a booking a Hilton hotel in London for my friend who came to London from Japan in September. It was the DoubleTree by Hilton London Kensington in the Kensington district.

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Contents

Access
Location and Room
Restaurant
Breakfast
Useful Information

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Access

I was able to book my flight back from my business trip to coincide with the arrival time of my friend’s ANA flight at Heathrow Airport. The flight from my business trip was delayed, so I was wondering what would happen, but I was able to meet my friend while waiting for my baggage at the baggage claim area.

It was my first time meeting someone at such a place, but I was happy that it went well and we were reunited after a long time, so we greeted each other with hugs.

The Piccadilly Line carriages are old and narrow (new carriages are scheduled to be introduced in 2025), so I recommend using the Elizabeth Line to travel from Heathrow Airport to central London, but the hotel is very close to Gloucester Road station on the Piccadilly Line.

You can arrive from Heathrow Airport on the Piccadilly Line without changing trains, and the journey takes about 40 minutes, so the Piccadilly Line is the best option here. It was also good that the subway wasn’t very crowded in the daytime.

Location and Room

Located in the popular Kensington district, the hotel is surrounded by many tourist attractions such as Kensington Palace, the Natural History Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. 

When I opened the door, I was surprised to see that it was a maisonette-type room. I had booked a double guest room but it seemed that I was upgraded to a duplex suite. 

The lower floor had a spacious living room equipped with a sofa and desk, making it a convenient place to relax and do a little work. 

The upper floor had a bedroom and bathroom, and the living space was separated for comfort. The bed was king-sized and the mattress had just the right firmness. The view from the window looked over the streets of Kensington, making you feel like you are in London.

The hotel kindly prepared sweets and fruit on the table in the living room. Since the pandemic, such services have decreased dramatically, but I was grateful to receive them and enjoyed after dinner.

Among the rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton Kensington, there is an apartment on the first floor, which not only has convenient kitchen facilities for long-term stays, but also a private garden.

• Kensington Palace

• Natural History Museum

• Victoria & Albert Museum

Restaurant

By the time I arrived at the hotel and relaxed for a while, it was already evening. I decided to have dinner at the restaurant in the hotel, since I could use the drink coupon I received at check-in.

I couldn’t imagine it from the main street, but there was a courtyard called the “Secret Garden” at the back, where I could eat in a quiet space surrounded by trees. It was mid-September in London, and it was a bit cold when the sun went down, but it’s hard to find places to eat outdoors in Japan, so I took this opportunity to ask to be shown to an outdoor seat.

The food was from various Asian countries, including Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia, and some of them were not very familiar. We toasted to our reunion after a year.

Breakfast

As with other hotels, breakfast was served buffet style with a wide variety of food and drinks.

There was bread, fruit, cereal, yogurt, etc., so you could choose according to your preference. Personally, I prefer continental bread with ham and cheese, but for those who prefer English style, there was of course bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, etc., so you could get a hearty breakfast.

Useful information

There are many supermarkets and cafes around Gloucester Road Station, making it convenient for small shopping trips and snacks. For example, Waitrose, which is adjacent to the station, is a high-end supermarket. It’s perfect for when you don’t feel like fast food, but don’t feel like going to a restaurant either.

In addition, a travel agency called My Bus runs bus tours for tourists from Japan, and the bus stops are around Waitrose and the DoubleTree by Hilton Kensington. If you’re considering joining a tour, it’s the perfect location. We also joined a tour of Cotswold villages.

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