Look, I’ll be honest – I walked past The Laslett about five times before realizing this was actually my hotel. It sits so quietly on Pembridge Gardens that you’d think it was just another gorgeous Victorian townhouse (which, well, it technically is). But once you step inside, you immediately get why this place has such a cult following among people who know London.
The thing about staying here is that you’re essentially living like a very stylish local for a few days. Pembridge Gardens is one of those streets that even most Londoners don’t know about – it’s tucked just behind Notting Hill Gate station, so you can literally walk to the Tube in about three minutes, but you’re on this incredibly peaceful tree-lined road that feels miles from the chaos. I mean, you’ll hear the occasional car, but mostly it’s just quiet enough that you can actually sleep with the windows open. The rooms themselves feel more like staying in a friend’s beautifully designed flat than a hotel – there’s this whole mid-century modern thing happening with the furniture, and honestly, the beds are ridiculously comfortable. I’m talking about the kind of sleep where you wake up confused about what day it is.
What really sold me on this place, though, is how it handles the details that matter when you’re actually living somewhere for a few days. The staff genuinely seems to care about making your stay work – they’ll sort out restaurant reservations, give you proper local recommendations (not tourist traps), and the concierge actually knows the neighborhood. Plus, you’re a two-minute walk from Portobello Road, which means you can hit the market on Saturday mornings before the crowds descend, then escape back to your quiet street. And you know what? The whole Notting Hill area is right there – those famous colorful houses, the bookshop from the movie, all of it – but you’re staying somewhere that feels authentically London rather than like a movie set. The only real downside is that once you’ve stayed here, other London hotels feel a bit… impersonal? It’s got that perfect balance of being fancy enough that everything works beautifully, but relaxed enough that you don’t feel like you need to dress up to walk through the lobby. Definitely worth booking if you can swing it.