Holiday Inn London-Kensington Forum

Can’t get back soon enough

This is our second stay here - its reasonably priced and we love the location, neighborhood and friendly customer service. When we go back to London we will definitely stay at this hotel again.

Wish I stayed here sooner!

I lived in the UK in the 70’s. Now return about once a year to refresh some great memories! Have stayed in pensions and other hotels including Hilton, Millenium and Harrington Hall to name a few. All very nice. This Holiday Inn exceeded my expectations and wish I would have used their services before. Rooms are average, newly refurbished and very clean. Had a refrigerator which was appreciated. Nice having a pub in the hotel as well as a lounge/cafe in the lobby. Never waited for an elevator. Heating/AC worked very well. Bathroom was adequate and well supplied. Everyone was very helpful and pleasant. Wish I had stayed here before...location, amenities and staff couldn’t be better in my book. I had a great stay/trip!

Great location!

We were truly pleased with the location of this hotel. The "tube" was walking distance, which had three lines servicing the Gloucester Rd. stop. The Kensington area is great! After spending time in Piccadilly Circus, we were pleased to come back to our peace and quiet. You can walk to Harrod’s in 15 to 20 minutes and find some great Indian restaurants in the area. We loved it! We would definitely come back to this hotel and location again!!

good hotel in good surrounding neighborhood

good hotel in good surrounding neighborhood, close to tube station Stunning view from room window

Great location good value

The breakfast was also great, healthy options available.

Would recommend with reservations

Room - clean but tight, as most of London’s hotels are. Location - Gloucester tube (3 lines) and Waitrose around the corner, dining options lighter than other locations in London, but probably middle of the road. Hotel - the lift situation was appaling! Christmas or not, only having 2 of 7 operational for a 27 story hotel was a bit of a negative.

Fantastic location

Very close to the Gloucester Road tube stop, with a Supermarket, many restaurants, a Starbucks, and a post office all within a stone’s throw.

Perfect Location

The Forum is located in South Kensington. It close to museums, Harrods, and Kings Road. THe hotel is across from The Glouster tube station. You can get anywhere in London from there.

Great Location for Touring London

This Holiday inn had a prior life as another hotel chain so you must be very specific with your taxi driver to avoid confusion. It is the tallest hotel in the Kensington area and many rooms have great views. Be sure to request a high floor. The internet connection boxes are problematic and the hotel staff cannot solve all the problems which caused me to make service calls, which the hotel tried to charge me for. Never make ANY phone calls from your room-the prices are shocking. This hotel had a great breakfast buffet, good staff people and a great location. The main tube station is only 2 blocks away. Further, you can ride the double decker red bus directly to Herrods store if you wish from the front of the tube station. The rooms tend to be on the cool side and the control box is fixed, so be ready. There is a supermarket and many stores nearby. I will stay here again on my next trip. All in all a very good Euro-hotel with a great location.

Visit the local supermarket in the shopping center by the tube station. They have hot prepared food items for take out and many local foods to enjoy. It is a much better value to do this than to eat the at the hotel where costs are very high. The dollar is depressed against the pound so everything is expensive in comparison.

Great location near the underground - Staff is awesome.

Two blocks from the Underground (Three lines run through it.). Several restaurants within walking distance. Concierge was incredible with tour bookings/transportation, suggestions, directions, and tickets for a play. All staff is very courteous.

Plenty of restaurants in the neighborhood. Avoid eating in the hotel.

Good value for money for London standards

Good value for money for London standards- The rooms in the London hotels I previously stayed at were extremely small and uncomfortable. Holiday Inn offers a relatively larger room... It is also nice to have a small fitness and a friendly bussiness center in house.

Excellent Location, Definitely not 4 star!

Excellent location in S. Kensington area; easy walk to Natural History and V&A Museums, Royal Albert Hall & Hyde Park; one block from Gloucester Road tube station; Earl’s Court tube station is also within a 5 - 10 min walking distance; together with the bus stops on Cromwell Rd (front of hotel) all parts of London are easily accessible; that and the city view from the top floors are about the only pluses for this Holiday Inn. Service, more often than not, is sub-par with check-in always an ordeal. I’ve stayed here at least 3 times ’cause of its location on the Piccadilly Line (to/from LHR) so I should know. Rooms are also nothing to write home about; bathrooms are adequate but as with everything in the room, towels, trash can, and accessories tend towards the small side of things; towels seem about the size of most hand towels; TV (if you want to watch) is tiny as well at 13"; and on one stay, our bathroom needed maintenance as the drain smelled putrid; food definitely is not worth it with Waitrose and Sainsbury right outside the hotel doors; not to mention the myriad of other great London eateries in the surrounding area! Take it for a 3 star and use it for location but don’t expect much more than that.

Better Than I Expected

I read a number of reviews for a variety of hotels, it helped set my expectation (rooms are small). I was expecting a small room, and it was. However, it was still a little bigger than I imagined. I asked for 2 twin beds (went to the Patriots game with my son) and that’s exactly what I got. Location was great (around the corner form the Gloucester Rd tube stop which is a direct shot from Heathrow). Room was clean and very functional. Hotel staff friendly and very helpful. Was happy they had a (one) US standard outlet for my small electronic devices. Next time I’d bring a small power bar so I can connect camera, cell phone, blackberry all at once - but we were able to manage anyway. Overall I was very happy with the hotel, location & staff. I would stay there again. My wife, had she came, might have a slightly different review (size of the room and bathroom - small but functional), for us two guys it was fine. MY compliments to Expedia for helping me select this hotel. One word of caution (which I discovered by surprise), the London subway system (tube) shuts down around midnight depending on day of week, so rider beware)

The London Eye is a must do, also the tower of London and he Tower Bridge. We took the train to Paris (round trip same day - it was cost effective - never having been there before it gave me the oppotunity to visits sites I had only heard about - Notre Dame, Louvre, Eiffel Tower etc.). Wish I had more time but with juts 4 full days in LOndon this was a great way to spend one of them.

Fine budget hotel, good location

This hotel was fine - good budget hotel, good location. Room was small, but adequate and with a *terrific* view of the London skyline! Go to Paul’s for breakfast (near the tube).

Good place to stay

Ive stayed at this hotel 4 times and I have a good experience each time. The hotel is in a great location, clean good sized rooms (and baths). The staff is very helpful. The hotel is quite large so the lobby can be crowded at times, but this does not cause any problems. I would recommend this hotel and plan to return myself.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

There is a Tube about 1 block this hotel. Very convenient and will get you around to all points in London.

Centrally located, close to the ’tube’ and buses

Clean, quiet, and very American - which is good for us Americans!!

This is a great place to stay.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Kensington Holiday Inn. It was so convenient to the tube station and several restaurants. There is a great little grocery store close by and the people at the hotel were so nice. The room was larger than I thought it would be and very clean. We will definately stay here again. The breakfast buffet is a little expensive, but there are other places close by for breakfast.

Over charge for extra’s

The Hotel is very good and clean, I had asked for early check in and called one week ahead of time and was told no problem. When i arrived there was no room ready for me. I have to leave my bag and come back 5 hours later. We i was asked to leave my credit card for extes ( phone tv ect. ) i asked how much would be put on it and the staff meneber said a small amont to make sure i have credit. When i made it to my room 5 minuets later I got a text message from my bank. The hotel charge me $779 us dollars. After calls and vistits to the front desk with no help i emailed the hotel GM and with in a short time he took care of me and gave a credit and a free dinner on the hotel. I would stay again but never give my credit card for the extra,s i never use them any ways.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

plan everything ahead, download maps and use the free services, may trip was easy because i spent the extra time doing all this before i left the USA

ok location and room. lacking in other respects

great location (2 min walk to the tube) and spacious and comfortable room. but room service is lousy - they wouldn’t answer your calls. and no water pressure in the shower - I called maintenance but they couldn’t help. the hotel is simply too old.

Great location

Room was on the small side, but very clean and comfortable. Not terribly high on old world charm, but the view overlooking central London from our 16th floor room made up for that. Lots of charming restaurants nearby, plus the Gloucester metro stop is just 1 block away. And Hyde Park/Kensington Gardens, Royal Albert Hall, and a couple museums are all a very easy walk. My only issue was that our room was not cleaned one day when we returned from sightseeing. I was quickly remedied while we went out for dinner.

Great location!

We had the best time in London and staying at this Holiday Inn was part of it! We had a 5 night stay and really enjoyed the area and we were 1 block from the tube, and 1 block from plenty of places to eat too! The only down side of the hotel was the water pressure was very weak. We did speak to the front desk and they explained that the entire hotel was like that. We are planning on returning in a couple of months to London, and will stay here again.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

Buy a day pass for the tube - which also works for the buses. Skip breakfast at the hotel, there are many inexpensive options a block away. Eat at the Stanhope Pub across from the Tube, the food and atmosphere was awesome!

Convenient and good quality

Good location, close to tube and buses as well as several breakfast eateries - breakfast is not included and at the hotel it is grossly overpriced.

great location

The hotel is located steps from the "tube." It made sightseeing so easy. It was close enough to the major attractions, without feeling like you are in the center of the tourist traps. The close proximity to restaurants and banks was also very convenient. I would definitely stay there again and recommend the hotel to all my friends.

We were very happy with the hotel

Rooms were small, but clean, well kept and quiet. Staff were helpfull, and always polite.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Food in london is always expensive .We bought fruit yogurt and Danish in the Tesco Expres , across the street from the tube station - Breckfast for 5 for under 10 pounds. Also in the same block is a Resturant (fogot the name) with Patio outside and you go up steps to the maine seating area. Run by East Indians.We found it to be Cheep food,Friendly staff and Good curry.

it was ok

was near grocery store, restaurant, train station rooms too small