Accommodation in Kensington Area - any advice?

[mears]

Going to a conference in June. Any nice (but not too expensive) hotels? Four of us are going the night before, hopefully will be able to get tickets when we are down there for a show.
Any recommendations on both fronts?

Afraid that everything is expensive round this area...most of the small hotels are way expensive and the large hotels are generally Hiltons and the such. Which part of Kensington are you coming too? There are cheaper hotels toward Earls Court but the quality is very much hit and miss.

It maybe best to find somwhere a bit further out and take the tube into kensington, either central line to the northern half (Notting Hill) or circle line and district line to the sourther part (er..South Ken).

It does depend on where you going though. If you let me know I can do some digging, if you want of course!

Mears, when people came to the London Christmas meet up, some of them (Bayleaf was one, can't remember who else stayed - Dixie?) stayed somewhere in Earls Court which isn't far from Kensington and I seem to remember it wasn't expensive. Maybe one of them will respond but if not you could try starting a thread to ask one of them where it was and whether it was nice. It should be cheaper than Kensington anyway.

mears, if you are going to a conference and are asking about the Kensington area would it be fair to assume that you are attending an event at Olympia? If so you may also want to consider hotels in the Hammersmith Broadway area, as this is only a 5-10 minute walk away from Olympia.

But like I said it depends where in the borough of Kensington.

It's the Commonwealth Conference & Events Centre/ Commonwealth Institute, Kensington High Street. Nearby tube stations are Olympia, Holland Park, High Street Kensington and Earls Court.
We thought it would be better to stay nearer to the conference venue than the West End. Flying to Stanstead.

By the way, do you think it is best to wait till the week before and book through somewhere like laterooms.com?

Does it have to be Kensington, I'd recommend Le Meridien, Picadilly. They are usually on www.lastminute.com if you search the hotel name.

Walking distance from Leicester Square and Regent Street, they have an indoor pool and a Champneys Health Spa.

There's the Travel Inn in Kensington. £69.95 per room. Or might be £79.95 during the week. You should be able to book a twin room if you're prepared to share.

I would say book late if you are not bothered about possibly getting something further away then where you would prefer.

KENSINGTON GUEST HOUSE or the Ravna Gora Hotel on 020 7727 7725 are both on Holland Park Avenue, which is about a 15 minute walk from the Commonwealth Institute through Holland Park (a really nice walk!) There is a Hilton on Holland Park Avenue and at the end of Kensington High Street, but both are a bit further in terms of walking distance.

These are the nearest ones that I personally know of, I live in Holland Park so it wouldn't be too difficult if you would like me to look further a field.

Here's the link of the Ravna Gora Hotel.

Thankyou very much for the information. I'll check those links out pie, that area would be ideal. I'll let you know how we get on.

One more thing mears! If you find somewhere you like the look of and need to know how far to the Institute just let me know. I have lived in Kensington my whole 26 years so am always here if you need to know anything else generally about the area.

BTW took my first steps in the Commonwealth Institute!!

Pie didn't the Ravna Gora use to be a veggie place too? My oldest took her first steps in Holland Park, near the tennis courts.

We are booked into the Thistle Hotel, Kensington. 4 star. £34.50 each (twin rooms) for bed and continental braekfast.
Anyone know anything about it. Is it nice?

I've stayed in the Thistle at Charing Cross and it was lovely.

Just the thread!

I am going to be in Kensington on Friday (I suspect, mears, that we will probably pass on the street without knowing!) and Saturday.

I need to find a place to meet friends for coffee/lunch. Some of them are attending the conference but most of us are just going down a day early for the NCT Members' Conference on Saturday.

We'd like a cafe we can plonk ourselves down in for an hour between noon and 1pm, then possibly return around 5pm. It would be nice, but not essential, if it is also licensed.

Any ideas? I guess that one's to pie (feels like a Blind Date question!)

Sue, ermmm.. I can have a think, but what area of Kensington are you going to be in? Some parts there are alot of chains, some parts there are alot of independent places kwim?

And mears there are 3 Thistles in Kensington; Park, Palace and Gardens. Do you know which one you are booked into? All are in nice areas though!

Sorry - duh!

Conference is at Commonwealth Institute; we'll all be de-tubing at High St Ken. Looking for somewhere close to those two places. We're staying at the Travel Inn, Kensington but I'm not too worried about getting to/from there, just need a place to meet up around lunchtime pre-shopping and in the early evening post conference (we're already sorted for somewhere to eat on Friday evening).

Balans on Ken High Street (south side,ie same side as the tube station, opposite Safeways ish I should say) is quite a nice licensed cafe. Probably about the best on the high st.

Thanks SamboM.

Opp Safeways - it's all coming back to me now. I used to go up there quite a lot pre-DD and vaguely remember a supermarket but that's almost 7 years ago now.

What about Holland Park cafe?

Sorry for not getting back to you earlier, DH has just spent hours 'fixing' the computer.

Lou33, the Holland Park Cafe is due to re-open anyday now, it has been closed for about 6 months.

Balans is nice, about half way between the institute and the tube station. On the same side as the Institute on all the off streets there are a few cafe type places, Palms is a popular one, just behind WH Smith. If you want just some good food the tube end is best, especially Wagamamas. Their aren't alot of cafe type places round there though. There is a Cafe Rouge at the bottom of Kensignton Church Street, and across the road a nice pub called The Katherine Wheel. I have to say that most of the eateries/drinkeries (is that a word) will be about 150 yards down the high street if you go right when coming out of the station. The institute is too the left though. But the high street isn't that long.

Safeways is still there and has gone very 'posh' with a Sushi bar and stuff.

HTH

You and I are going to the same place SueW

Are they revamping it Pie? I used to love their soup!

Kensington Palace. pie

Just about to leave for my flight to Stanstead. Will let you know what it was like on my return. Won't be back till late Friday night. Bye