The Gore Hotel London

Hotel Information: Surrounded by museums in London’s sophisticated Kensington area, stands The Gore Hotel , a quirky boutique hotel steeped in the eccentricity and style of the Victorian era. Its high-ceilinged entrance hall is lined with nineteenth-century paintings of imperial officers, London’s streets, and Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – who played major roles in developing this area. The Albert Hall is just around the corner, while many cultural landmarks can be found nearby: the Victoria and Albert, Natural History and Science Museums, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Royal Colleges of Art and Music. In fact, the whole area was bought with the profits made from the Great Exhibition of 1851 (another project close to Albert’s heart) held in nearby Hyde Park. While all this was going on, The Gore was also being built. Originally two adjacent townhouses, it became a single hotel under the auspices of two Victorian spinsters, Miss Ada and Miss Fanny.

Yet in many ways, it still feels like a townhouse. In the sunlit rooms at the front – the fun and funky Bar 190 and the tranquil 190 Queens Gate restaurant – the hotel’s friendly staff serve colourful cocktails and hearty British fare to the pre-show set; while in the quiet Green Room at the back, guests read and relax in comfortable leather armchairs. Downstairs are the Tapestry Rooms – raffish conference and party facilities, lined with gilded mirrors and lavish French wall hangings.

Category: *****

Room information: 46 bedrooms that are among the most charming in London.

The Gore recently had a £2.5 million refurbishment, upping the quality of the decor while reducing the number of bedrooms from 54 to 46. My own four-poster bed was especially comfortable, and my room nicely finished with elegant claret drapes; while Miss Ada’s bedroom retains a Victorian charm with its mahogany and walnut panelling and stained glass windows. Contemporary necessities aren’t forgotten, either. There is wi-fi connectivity throughout the hotel, flat-screen televisions in the bedrooms, and luxurious bathrooms with power showers.

My bath, it must be said, would have better suited a shorter person from another age, but on the whole the mix of past and present is done rather well, and adds greatly to the hotel’s relaxed and personable, if slightly eccentric, air.

Room Facilities:

General  Minibar, Shower, Bath, Safety Deposit Box, TV, Telephone, Air Conditioning, Bathroom Amenities, Toilet, Bathroom, Heating, Satellite TV, Hairdryer,

Services Room Service – Meeting/Banquet Facilities – Airport Shuttle –  Services – Laundry – Dry Cleaning – VIP Room Facilities – Breakfast in the Room – Bridal Suite – Currency Exchange –  Car Rental – Tour Desk – Fax/Photocopying