The Ampersand Hotel

London, United Kingdom

Unique and intriguing décor in a classic Victorian townhouse

Club Member Rating

4.8

24

The Ampersand Hotel

At a glance

111 rooms

The Ampersand Hotel is conveniently situated in South Kensington, close to the city’s most exclusive shopping areas and within walking distance of London’s greatest museums. Built in 1888, the hotel’s classic Victorian façade belies its unique interior which is inspired by the nearby Natural History Museum, V&A and Royal Albert Hall. There is a vaulted cocktail bar and restaurant, a gym, and Drawing Rooms for patisseries and light meals.

Location

South Kensington, central London, under a minute’s walk from South Kensington tube station. 10 miles from London City Airport and 12 miles from London Heathrow Airport.

Map

Things to enjoy

Beautifully decorated rooms, suites and interiors packed with curiosities, a gymnasium, vaulted cocktail bar and restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine, patisserie and afternoon tea destination.

Number of floors: 7
Number of lifts: 2

In detail

Influenced by the numerous famous museums close by, the design aesthetic at The Ampersand Hotel incorporates aspects of botany, music, geometry, ornithology and astronomy. Discover everyday objects with an unexpected twist, geometric shapes and patterns on the walls and eclectic, whimsical curiosities gathered in the tradition of the great Victorian collectors.

A visit to the Natural History Museum is a must. Or discover the exclusive shopping opportunities in nearby Knightsbridge. A leisurely stroll through Hyde Park and a visit to the Serpentine Gallery is a relaxing way to end the day before tea and cakes back at The Ampersand Hotel, followed by a cocktail or two before dinner.

Rooms

In line with our commitment to offer guests both choice and diversity, Small Luxury Hotels of the World properties offer a range of room categories for you to choose from. The Ampersand Hotel offers all of the following amenities as standard: complimentary WiFi, complimentary soft drinks from the minibar, LCD TVs, movies on demand, complimentary tea/coffee making facilities, media hub, laptop safe.

Single Room

Our Single Rooms are inspired by astronomy. All have double beds with oversized velvet bedheads, and an ensuite bathroom—most with a walk-in shower. Size: 12 sq. metres

Double Room

Our small Double Rooms are inspired by astronomy. All have double beds with oversized velvet bedheads, and an ensuite bathroom—most with a walk-in shower or bath and shower combination. These rooms are ideal for single occupancy or short stays. Size: 11-15 sq. metres

Superior Room

Our Superior Double Rooms, pitch-perfect interiors inspired by the sounds and the silence of music are more spacious than other Doubles. They also allow for a more generous workspace. Ensuite bathrooms are standard—with either a spacious walk-in shower or a bath/shower combination. Luxury room details include toiletries by London perfumer, Miller Harris. Double or twin beds available. Size: 16-20 sq. metres.

Deluxe Room

Our Deluxe Rooms feature furniture to relax in and interiors defined by the flight and fancy of ornithology. Details might include a chaise longue at the end of the bed or a comfortable armchair. In our bathrooms you will find Miller Harris toiletries, as well as a few rooms with tension-relieving, walk-in showers. Our beds all have oversized velvet bedheads. Size: 20-24 sq. metres.

Deluxe Studio

Our Deluxe Studios offer a residential sense of space, brimming with botanical style. Organic lines inspired by English flora. Longer-term guests will appreciate the sitting area, large enough to hang out with a couple of friends. Indeed this is the room to spread out with work documents, with the addition of Ipod dock and Nespresso machine to the standard amenities provided. In the ensuite bathrooms, Miller Harries toiletries give a sense of England, while nine of the 12 Deluxe Studios have TVs in the bathroom; those that don’t have grander, freestanding baths. Size: 28-32 sq. metres.

One Bedroom Suite

Our fourth and fifth floor suites afford London skyline views and geometry-inspired views. All of them reflect Ampersand’s British sense of whimsy. Each of these comfortable, attic-style luxury suites has French windows and a small balcony affording ‘Mary Poppins’ views across London. There is a kitchenette with a microwave oven, a bedroom with a king-size bed, a separate sitting room, a freestanding bath and walk-in shower or a bath and shower combination. All the bathrooms in our Kensington suites have built-in TVs. Two of these suites can also be interconnected to Deluxe Rooms, which works well for those travelling with families. Size: 30-40 sq. metres.

Services

With some of the most stylish hotel rooms in Kensington, The Ampersand Hotel is a one-off, privately owned hotel that combines contemporary excellence in design, service, food and technology in an 1888 building at London’s heart. Interiors have been inspired by those great Victorian values of discovery and wonder - and then given a modern, whimsical twist. The result: a cosmopolitan 111-room luxury boutique hotel, bar and two restaurants delivering 21st-century warmth, humour and total comfort.


Directory of services

  • Bell service
  • Car Parking ( at cost )
  • Concierge
  • Daily maid service
  • Daily newspaper
  • Disabled Access
  • Disabled Rooms
  • Dogs accepted
  • Foreign currency exchange
  • Guests relation services
  • High speed Internet in guest rooms
  • Interconnecting rooms
  • Internet / E-mail terminal
  • Laundry service
  • Luggage services
  • Multilingual staff
  • Nanny service
  • Pets Allowed for free
  • Porters
  • Pressing service
  • Room service - 24 hour
  • Shoe shine service
  • Valet Parking
  • Voicemail message system
  • Wake up calls
  • WI-FI in public areas
  • WI-FI in guest rooms

On-site facilities

  • Business Centre
  • Fitness Facility
  • Gym/studio (unsupervised)
  • Pets accepted

Family facilities

  • Baby sitting
  • Cots
  • Family rooms
  • Interconnecting rooms
  • Sofa beds

Languages spoken

  • English

Dining

Among Kensington bars and restaurants, The Ampersand Hotel offers a sophisticated yet relaxed experience that appeals to both houseguests and locals. Easygoing Mediterranean cooking is the speciality at Apero, while in The Drawing Rooms, the all-day coffee, patisserie and light bite menus are offset by an elegant interior with private corners for a quiet meeting in front of a cosy hearth. The bar at Apero is a neighbourhood favourite for an aperitif.


Apero

Tucked beneath the high Victorian cellar arches, Apero brings a shot of fresh Mediterranean style to the heart of South Kensington. Softly lit, with cool white metro tiles, marble tables and exposed brick walls, Apero is an intimate, laidback restaurant in Kensington where you can catch up over a shared plate of something deliciously simple and modern. Our menus are inspired by freshness and quality, by the Mediterranean’s best-sourced ingredients and the region’s most enduring flavours. The bar at Apero is an understated but glamorous spot to get into the ‘aperitivo’ spirit with a signature cocktail or glass of wine. If the occasion requires greater privacy, the cocooning leather banquettes in our snug offer a discreet space for up to six people, which can even be curtained off by opulent drapes. A meal at Apero is a satisfying and uncomplicated highlight of your stay—an address designed for locals, yet easy for houseguests who can also enjoy signature Apero dishes on room service menus around the clock.

Restaurant details
Type: Mediterranean
Dress Code: Casual
Opening Hours:
 Breakfast: 7am to 10am Monday to Friday, 7am to 11am Saturday and Sunday 

Mediterranean Brunch: Midday to 4pm Saturday and Sunday

Full Menu: Midday to 4pm Monday to Sunday, 5pm to 12pm Sunday to Thursday, 5pm to 1am Friday and Saturday

Smoking: No (Non-Smoking)

The Drawing Rooms

French finesse meets British aplomb in the Drawing Rooms—the luxurious heart of The Ampersand Hotel serving afternoon tea in Kensington and far more besides. Lunch and early evening bites include fresh French-inspired salads and tartelettes, edible cocktails served in elegant glasses and tasting plates showcasing a selection of Anglo-French influences.

Restaurant details
Type: Patisserie
Dress Code: Smart / Casual
Opening Hours:  The Drawing Rooms are open from 10am until midnight Sunday to Thursday, and until 1am on Friday and Saturday.
Smoking: No (Non-Smoking)

The Wine Room

Adjacent to our Apero Kensington restaurant under the Victorian brick vaults of The Ampersand Hotel, the dignified ambience in The Wine Room is defined by its polished basalt floor and oak banqueting table, surrounded by 10 sturdy leather-bound chairs. This arrangement allows you to take over the whole room with friends, or to find yourselves sipping fine wines next to like-minded souls. This elegant room - available for Kensington private dining and wine tasting - showcases the hotel's red wine collection in an imposing floor-to-ceiling display that dominates an entire wall. On the other side, cabinets packed with curiosities reflect a Victorian passion for collecting.

Restaurant details
Type: Private Dining
Dress Code: Smart / Casual
Opening Hours: The Wine Cellar is available for private dining bookings. At other times it operates under the same opening hours as Apero.
Smoking: No (Non-Smoking)

Leisure

The Ampersand has the latest equipment from Technogym in our lower-ground floor space - open 24 hours to guests - including a bike, treadmill and crosstrainer with integrated digital screen, internet access and iPod dock, as well as free weights.

Meetings and Business

The meeting rooms include the whimsically-decorated Library seating 20 or 10 standing, The Wine Room for private dining of up to 10 and wine tastings, and The Games Room for a more relaxed venue seating 16 or 30 standing.

Getting there

Hotel Address

The Ampersand Hotel
10 Harrington Road
London
SW7 3ER. England

Transportation

The District, Circle and Piccadilly Lines all stop at South Kensington underground station and can connect you to the rest of London in minutes. Buses are easy to use with key routes passing close to the hotel.

Directions

The Ampersand Hotel is situated just a minute’s walk from South Kensington tube station, and is well connected to Heathrow airport.

Near The Ampersand Hotel

Hyde Park, Natural History Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, Royal Albert Hall, Science Museum, Harvey Nichols, Harrods, Saatchi Gallery, Kensington Gardens.


Landmarks

  • Victoria and Albert Museum

    The world’s greatest museum of art and design is just a five-minute walk from The Ampersand Hotel. From pearl-encrusted ballgowns and art nouveau glass to Japanese prints and Islamic metalwork, there is something to interest everyone.

  • Natural History Museum

    Unearth the great mysteries of life and the universe at this world-leading cathedral to natural history. With over 70 million items in its vast Gothic vaults, all life - and afterlife - is here. Particularly famous for its dinosaur skeletons.

  • Science Museum

    Interactive gizmos, awesome space rockets and a 3D Imax cinema make the Science Museum a failsafe visit for kids. There’s plenty for adults too, this perfectly curated museum making light work of big bangs, climate changes and astrophysics, among other things.

  • Royal Albert Hall

    The Ampersand is well placed for a visit to the Albert Hall. The iconic circular hall, built to fulfil the vision of Prince Albert in 1871, showcases an ever-changing programme of events and exhibitions, many of them music-led.

  • Christie’s South Kensington

    The busiest fine art and antiques saleroom in the UK, Christie’s South Ken holds over 100 sales a year, with a focus on interiors, single-owner sales and specialised collections. You will often find England’s star decorators pouring over the eclectica.

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