Hotel Indigo London – Kensington, an IHG Hotel

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Hotel Indigo Kensington? It’s tucked away on this quiet garden square that feels worlds apart from the tourist chaos, even though you’re literally a ten-minute walk from the Natural History Museum. I mean, Barkston Gardens is one of those addresses that sounds posh but isn’t stuffy – the hotel sits in these converted Victorian townhouses that they’ve somehow made feel both historic and surprisingly modern. The lobby’s got this whole neighborhood-inspired design thing going on (apparently each Hotel Indigo has its own local theme), and honestly, it works. There’s local artwork and these deep blue accents that don’t feel forced, plus the staff actually seems to know the area instead of just reading from a script.

The rooms are what I’d call properly sized for London – not enormous, but cleverly designed so you’re not bumping into furniture. They’ve got these big windows that let in actual light, which is rarer than you’d think in this part of town. What I really appreciated was the attention to small stuff: decent water pressure, outlets where you need them, and blackout curtains that actually block out the streetlights. The bed was comfortable enough that I didn’t wake up feeling like I’d been wrestling with it all night. One thing though – if you’re a light sleeper, maybe ask for a room facing the garden rather than the street side. It’s not terrible noise-wise, but you’ll hear the occasional late-night taxi.

Location-wise, this place is sort of perfectly positioned if you want to feel like you’re staying in a real London neighborhood rather than a tourist bubble. You’ve got Earl’s Court tube station about a five-minute walk away, which puts you on the District and Piccadilly lines – basically, you can get anywhere without too much fuss. But here’s what I loved: walk the other direction and you hit Gloucester Road with all its little restaurants and that massive Waitrose if you need supplies. The whole South Kensington museum district is right there when you want culture, but you can also just wander through the residential streets and see how actual Londoners live. Plus, there’s this great little pub called The Blackbird just around the corner that locals actually use – not a tourist trap in sight. For a 4-star place with an 8.3 rating, it delivers exactly what you’d hope for: comfortable without being flashy, well-located without the premium you’d pay closer to Hyde Park, and run by people who seem to actually care about the details that make a stay memorable rather than just acceptable.

Rooms

• Standard Queen Room with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Premium Queen Room with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Queen Suite with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Queen Bed Premium with Extra bed with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 2 children
• Premium Queen Room with Two Queen Beds with 2 large double beds for 4 adults, 3 children
• Standard Room with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• Premium Room with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 1 child
• 1 Queen Bed Suite with Extra bed with 1 large double bed for 2 adults, 2 children

Facilities