100 Queen’s Gate oozes boutique. With its beautifully decorated interiors, Botanica tea room, destination bar and stylish nods to its well travelled former inhabitant, the hotel occupies a prime spot in Kensington with both South Kensington and Gloucester Road tubes within walking distance.
The Hilton Curio Collection carefully selects hotels which retain their own individual style to be part of their portfolio. 100 Queen’s Gate used to be the home of Victorian aristocrat William Alexander – a globe trotting explorer, lawyer and collector of unique pieces – so the hotel is full of quirky nods to this fine gent, interspersed with gorgeous contemporary furnishings.
The 1870s town house designed by DesignLSM boasts a beautifully modern lobby area with luxurious furniture and a bright, contrasting well executed colour scheme – plush pastel pinks compliment fresh mint walls, along with a stunning vintage rug and huge windows which let plenty of light in. The perfect place to relax and rewind pre or post check in, the lobby is also home to a cabinet or curiosities, a splendid drinks trolley and a bookcase filled with interesting novels you could spend hours upon hours looking at.
After making your way through the hotel and past the gorgeous Botanica afternoon tea room with its biophilic interiors, double height atrium ceiling and mirrored walls, the hotel’s lifts lead you to your room along mysterious and dimly lit corridors – retaining that air of mystery and inquisitive opportunity.
Opening the door to my luxury king room was a wonderful surprise. Far from the basic hotel room, 100 Queen’s Gate rooms are finished to the very highest standards – each continuing with the theme of regality and Victorian splendour, while offering the very highest standards in comfort. From the quirky globe (a modern day design of an item probably owned by William Alexander himself), to the rotary style telephones finished in black and gold, along with hanging mirrors and artworks and a feature fireplace, the bathroom glittered with shimmering tiles and luxury bath products. The Nespresso machine, 49” flat screen TV, free wifi and fluffy bathrobes were the icing on the cake!
While I would’ve been happy to lounge on the gigantic bed all day, I was also curious to see what else 100 Queen’s Gate had to offer and so, venturing back downstairs, I stumbled upon the W/A – the hotel’s all day dining restaurant and bar. Here, you can order cocktails, wine and champagne, and a range of classic dishes with a twist like the fish and chips which comes with a scrumptious light squid ink tempura batter. This is also where breakfast is served and the restaurant becomes a lively buzzy area with breads, pastries, juices and hot buffet. It’s worth heading down before 9am if you’re after a slightly more relaxed experience.
After dark, it seems the place to be is ESQ– a hidden gem of a basement cocktail bar which is accessible via the stairs at the back of reception. In the style of a Victorian parlour, this refined space is a definite destination bar and filled up quickly with guests and visitors alike. With modern takes on classic songs being played beautifully by the live musician on the piano, the stools at the bar seemed the best place to sit and soak up the ambience, while watching the mixologists get to work. With the incredible Rocco at the helm (formerly of Hakkasan), we spent all night here chatting to other residents at the hotel and watching every cocktail you can think of being shaken up, stirred and served to happy guests.
100 Queen’s Gate is the perfect retreat if you like your hotels to come with a bit of character. Marrying together the historic elements of the building’s past with comfort and luxury which is carried seamlessly from area to area throughout the hotel, make this a really interesting and unique place to stay. Book your room by clicking here, or check out Luxe Bible’s reviews of other London hotels, here.
