The Gallery Hotel
South Kensington, London
ABOVE: The Gallery Hotel has the look
and feel of a Victorian townhouse.
by Durant Imboden
The Gallery is a
boutique hotel in the fashionable South Kensington district of London. (See
map.) Its location couldn't be more convenient: The hotel is almost
next door to the Natural History Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum,
with
Harrods just a few blocks away. The Embassy of France is
close by, so the neighborhood is well-equipped with French bakeries,
restaurants, and bookstops that provide Gallic sustenance for body and soul.
The Gallery, which is one of three
Elegant English Hotels in London, occupies two
renovated 19th Century townhouses on Queensberry Place just off Cromwell Road.
It offers 34 rooms and suites for guests who enjoy Victorian atmosphere and
personal service at rates that are moderate by London standards.
I stayed at The Gallery during a
recent visit to Hampton Court Palace,
Kensington Palace, and the Tower of London. I was pleased by the hotel's combination of
traditional atmosphere with modern hotel services such as free Internet
terminals and an ADSL link for laptop users. I was equally impressed by the
competence and intelligence of the staff. (How often do you encounter an
assistant reception manager from Greece who, not being content to speak perfect
English, is studying Japanese linguistics in his spare time?)
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Public rooms
Photo copyright © Elegant
English Hotels. Used by permission.
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