The Kensington: The Perfect Proms Stay

South Kensington does culture exceptionally well. Just think, the V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum are all here, while the Royal Albert Hall rises at the top of Queen’s Gate. In the middle of it is The Kensington, a five-star hotel occupying a collection of handsome Victorian townhouses and, crucially during Proms season, standing within walking distance of the Hall.

Part of The Doyle Collection, The Kensington evokes an ultra-stylish London residence rather than a conventional hotel. As general manager Paul Nash puts it, ‘Although we are a five-star hotel, there is a distinctly residential quality to the experience, and we try to approach hospitality in the way a good host would welcome someone into their home.’

A total of 116 rooms and 30 suites make up The Kensington, each individually designed to sit comfortably within the period architecture. The larger suites dial things up with bold prints, chinoiserie, rich fabrics and playful furniture, and bathrooms feature Calacatta marble and brass fittings, some with freestanding roll-top baths. Downstairs, interconnected drawing rooms come with open fireplaces, collected furniture and plenty of corners in which to disappear with a summer spritz. Town House, the hotel’s restaurant, runs through a series of light-filled rooms, while K Bar is the darker sibling where wood panelling, jewel tones and leather wingback chairs set the tone for a glamorous evening.

Then there’s the location. I checked in before heading to the Royal Albert Hall for the BBC Proms, with a ticket for Copland and Stravinsky, where Ryan Bancroft conducted the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, in hand. The programme included Copland’s Billy the Kid to Stravinsky’s Petrushka, with American clarinettist Anthony McGill performing the European premiere of Gabriel Kahane’s If love will not swing wide the gates in between. Getting there from The Kensington could hardly be easier: a hop, skip and a jump away, simply mooch up Queen’s Gate and, about 10 minutes later, you’re at the Royal Albert Hall. No Tube, no taxi (only if high heels are in order), The Kensington’s Proms proposition makes perfect sense.

‘There is something rather special about enjoying a glass of champagne in K Bar or Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Room before strolling up Queen’s Gate on a summer evening for a performance at the Hall,’ Nash agrees. ‘And, of course, staying the night at The Kensington allows that sense of occasion to continue long after the final note.’

The Proms have been part of the London summer since 1895 and have called the Royal Albert Hall home since the Second World War. More than a century on, the combination of major orchestras and soloists, classical favourites and contemporary commissions continues to draw audiences to South Ken. For Nash, their longevity comes down to something distinctly British: ‘There is something wonderfully distinctive and slightly eccentric about the tradition of the Promenade Concerts, and I think, a sense of relatability which sits at the heart of their enduring appeal.’

Artists: Anthony McGill clarinet, BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Ryan Bancroft conductor. Courtesy of BBC/Angus Race.

The hotel’s cultural credentials don’t end at the Royal Albert Hall, with the V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum all a short walk away, and Hyde Park nearby for morning runs or evening strolls. The hotel also has three Les Clefs d’Or concierges (a top award for deeply knowledgeable hotel hosts) on staff – handy people to know when tickets are elusive or if you’re after an experience off the usual London hit list.

The Restaurants

Town House is The Kensington’s all-day restaurant, set within the interconnected rooms that make up the ground floor, where open fires, colourful artwork and objets d’art add to the townhouse feel. At dinner, there’s a choice between the à la carte and pre-theatre menus, the latter a useful option before making the short walk to the Royal Albert Hall. The menu centres on fresh, seasonal dishes, with lighter options alongside the classics, from Dover sole and black cod on the à la carte menu to pea and asparagus risotto and roasted chicken supreme on the pre-theatre menu.

Breakfast is served here too, providing a civilised start to a day of museum hopping, while afternoon tea takes place in The Drawing Room, an elegant setting for another very British tradition.

K Bar is a different mood completely, with oak-panelled walls, low lighting, leather wingbacks and velvet sofas giving it the air of a private members’ club. Its current cocktail menu, Le Style Surréaliste, takes inspiration from the V&A’s Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art exhibition, with drinks playing on colour and illusion, tying into the hotel’s cultural modus operandi and its famous neighbour. For Proms-goers, it’s also very well placed for a pre-concert tipple as the Royal Albert Hall is just minutes away.

C&TH Key Notes

— Dish to order: Pan-seared sea bream and clams from the pre-theatre menu.

— Breakfast to choose: Avocado on toast, feta, chilli and poached St. Ewe eggs.

— Room to book: A suite, where interiors take on bold pattern drenching by designer Timothy Mather.

— Perfect for: A London weekend of music and museums.

The Last Word

The Kensington has the good looks and service expected of a five-star London hotel, but its address is the real trump card. The V&A, Natural History Museum and Science Museum are close by, and during Proms season the Royal Albert Hall is an easy walk up Queen’s Gate. Check in, sip a cocktail, see one of the world’s great orchestras and walk home afterwards. Done this way, London is a complete luxury.

BOOK IT

Rates at The Kensington start from £375 per night on a B&B basis. doylecollection.com