The Ampersand Hotel

Hotel

Lovely hotel with great access to the museums. Fabulous afternoon tea available!

Absolutely amazing stay at The Ampersand! Lovely staff, gorgeous room and nothing was to much trouble. Even the mutt was catered for 🐶💙 Thank you for a magical stay!

Excellent science afternoon tea! Took my 8& 5 yo service, food and drink great & really fun for the kids to put together.

Relaxing, contemporary and great location!

Unique experience, great service from Lucas and fantastic food. If you want an afternoon tea that’s different the Science Afternoon tea is for you.

The Science Afternoon Tea is tasty and looked fantastic — yet maybe the very best thing was the least photo-worthy — the scones were crunchy on the outside while deliciously moist inside. A lovely way to spend an afternoon in South Ken.

Great venue and impressive afternoon tea! Most enjoyable!

Fantastic high tea at The Ampersand Hotel this afternoon. The service was excellent and the food was perfect. I would highly recommend this experience, it was perfect!

If you are looking for 5* quality in this wonderful hamlet of London then your search stops here.
Outstanding in every aspect,
The customer service, all staff warm and friendly
Stunning decor in every room
Nice little touch in mini bar is a small carton of real milk!
Exceptional comfortable bed
Great bathroom
Absolutely faultless.

We spent 16 nights at the Ampersand and our stay couldn’t have been better. The room was nicely appointed and the bathroom was very nice. The room was quiet and well maintained. We would definitely stay here again.

Loved this place. From the look of the hotel, to the neighborhood, to the rooms, the restaurant, the staff. I felt so safe and at peace. Decorated beautifully.

Large suites. Lovely bathroom. Excellent amenities and perfect location suiting all of our needs on our London vacay.

Beautiful hotel in the heart of Kensington, the ideal base for exploring the museums, shops, restaurants and parks. You must try the science themed afternoon tea, it is amazing!

We went for the space afternoon tea today and it was out of this world! My son has never been so excited by food in his life! The staff were absolutely fabulous at making us feel welcome, it was a truly unforgettable experience. Thank you so much.

An amazing afternoon tea with my son who is 6. He loved it as did I! The welcome drink experiment was so much fun for both of us. I’ve had many afternoon teas and this was definitely one of the best ones! Highly recommend.

Love this hotel great staff beautiful rooms and as for the location perfect. Would I recommend this hotel definitely ❤️

My husband and I recently spent three nights in this lovely hotel. The location is absolute perfection in our opinion, and the neighborhood fantastic. The staff was amazing and ever so helpful. Fabio at the front desk was always willing to take time to answer our questions and concerns. Our room was beautiful and cozy. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud! We loved everything about our time there!

Me and my husband had a very comfortable and enjoyable stay at the hotel. Location is ideal (train station, bus stop including hop on hop off bus tours and numerous cafes and restaurants are right across the road from the hotel) and staff is extremely courteous and helpful. Amenities provided during the stay are well thought out. We will definitely be staying here again on our next trip to London.

Science High Tea was excellent. Staff are superb. Ambiance is perfect. All in all a great venue for catching up with amazing people over sublime cocktails.

Check in was very quick, staff were friendly. My favorite thing about the hotel was the location — right next to south Kensington station. My room was spacious, bathroom had heated floors, there was ac in the room and everything in the minibar was free.

Apero is a disguise of a restaurant. This place is terrible. From food to service. Disgusting. We were baffled. The employees are extremely disrespectful. When asked if we liked it or not, the waiters did not even listen to what we had to say. Don’t ask if you’re not gonna listen. First waiter was not happy with us criticising the food so another waiter came to finish the service. Food is poorly cooked, sugar is added in every single plate. On top of that, employees having …a day off were sitting at the table next to ours, making fun of clients in Italian (too bad we speak italian too and could understand what was happening). Their food portions were bigger. Complained about the poor quality of food and service but still wanted us to pay for the service fee. They tried to give us a 50% discount hoping that I would not write a review. Mediterranean food my ass. Place to avoid if you wish to enjoy quality food and are looking for professional service (which is a minimum in a restaurant that pretends to be of high-quality, especially in a 5-star boutique hotel). Especially in London with so many other nice places.

Best vegan afternoon tea we've had so far. The food and the service were impeccable. The vegan food was incredibly well prepared and many could not taste the difference, especially in the cakes. The location was also perfect as had 'The Library' specifically for our group. It was a great setting as the afternoon tea was also science themed. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and would recommend to others.

Very pretty lobby. Bed was so soft yet firm how is that possible. Rubber ducky at tub was a very cute touch, made me laugh. Not very personable service overall but suited me fine as I wanted to be left alone. Kettle was clean, plenty of cups, had all amenities I needed (cotton wool, cotton buds, makeup remover, loofah, all hygienically packed in sealed packs). Chic furnishings, a bit cramped in the most basic room even for a petite Asian lady, can't imagine what it'll be like for someone bigger sized. Next to a school I presume, as it was noisy one afternoon from children at the nearby playground.

We stayed here for 3 nights and were very happy with the hotel. The location is perfect if you are museum fan and use Tube a lot. We usually only stay in the Kensington area when we visit London and the Ampersand is definitely one of the best in the area. The room itself is modern and beautifully decorated. Im picky when it comes to bed sheet and I love the sheets there — so soft and smooth. The space in the room is definitely small but this is London after all.

We had the science afternoon tea at the Ampersand Hotel, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sandwiches and savoury bites were delicious, and seconds were given out. It was nice that the savoury plate was not just finger sandwiches, which is the norm. Scones were good, but the jam was too runny and didn't have a lot of flavour. Cakes were, however, DELICIOUS, beautiful and well presented. We enjoyed the gimmicks such as dry ice and 'archaeological dig' for dinosaurs, as well as mixing our own fruity drink in a beaker. Everything was of good quality, and we had a lovely time.

Nice clean hotel, extremely convenient with both bus and tube station and very good food options just outside. Lovely area and walking distance to museums and Hyde Park. Friendly service staff. The only negative which is beyond the hotels ability to help is that the floors are rather "creaky". I feel sorry for the guest under us which my jetlagged 4 year old walking around 5am in the morning. But otherwise an excellent, good value hotel.

Great hotel. Great Staff Unfortunately we only had a small room!

Really beautiful hotel! Absolutely stunning interiors and really helpful and friendly staff. The science themed afternoon tea is the best in London. It suits all ages, is delicious and looks incredible. Make sure to ask to take any cakes you can't eat home!

Went for the science tea and it was absolutely fantastic. The decor is lovely but relaxed and the service was also great. My partner and I split a regular and a veggie tea and they were both great although I think the regular one was a little tastier. I couldn't finish what was on the tray but we could have had more as part of the tea.

We had the science afternoon tea at the Ampersand Hotel and it was amazing. Not only was it fun and innovative, but the food was beautifully made and tasted wonderful. The service was great. The dining area, as well as the rest of the hotel, is beautifully decorated with interesting and unusual styling and artwork. I would recommend this afternoon tea to everyone.

We had the science afternoon tea in the drawing rooms and were really impressed. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. The room itself was lovely and the staff were very willing to help. The science theme to the afternoon tea was a clever little twist on a classic and I would recommend for anyone who finds science even vaguely exciting!

Visited for science themed afternoon tea. We had a big group so got a private room to ourselves. Food was tasty and there was lots of it. And the cakes look amazing! Dry ice was a nice touch to and the staff were really great, both attentive and good at knowing when to leave us to it.

Fantastic, funky boutique hotel in a great location. Short walk from South Ken station and beautiful exterior. Intimate hotel, meeting rooms are quite small but you can link them together to make a more flexible space. Very well decorated, lovely bedrooms, clean, great service. Would highly recommend!

Beautiful hotel. The rooms are excellent and luxurious. The food is delicious and the drinks selection matches the hotels high quality standards. Staff are helpful and pleasant. Wish I had more excuses to use the hotel which is in the city I live in (annoyingly! )

Ampersand hotel was very accommodating per out requests. The hotel was nice and clean. The front desk was exceptional.

It was recommended by the receptionist of the hotel we stayed. We didn't stay at the Ampersand hotel. Anyway, we had their "Science afternoon tea" and it was amazing and fun. The set was decorated by "scientific equipments" and the food was delicious. The waiters and waitress were super friendly and thoroughly explained how it works and the ingredients. If you want to have high tea in London, the Ampersand hotel is definitely recommended.

I went for science cream tea with my best friend. The staff were great. Checked on us enough to be friendly but not bugging us. We had 3 pots of tea each! The cream tea was incredible, so delicious. The restaurant and facilities were amazing. I highly recommend.

Nice boutique hotel. Well appointed rooms. Would definitely return. Only problem was it was a bit dark even with all the lights on.

Excellent locations, nice accommodations (rooms are somewhat tiny, although typical for the area). Would definitely stay at again/recommend.

Great location next to lots of great eats! The room was small but had everything we needed. Would definitely stay here again.

Fantastic independent boutique hotel. We were looking for a local flavour during our stay in Kensington and The Ampersand didn't let us down. Not the biggest rooms but very well appointed and functional.

My wife and I stayed at The Ampersand for our first trip to London and it could not have been a better choice. The room was great and much larger than we had anticipated, given reviews we had read. The service was great, as well. The hotel provides free daily water and soft drinks and even a local smart phone for use during your stay. But perhaps the best part was the location. Step from a major tube station and South Kensington is just a fantastic area.

This is definitely not a 4 star hotel. We've been touring the South of England and had some wonderful experiences in hotels recommended by American Express, but this was just terrible! Of all hotels that I have stayed in all over the world, the Ampersand hotel in London is one of the worst hotels ever! First, the food was what you would expect in a cheap youth hostel. 2 the rooms were extremely loud (super loud air condition, veeery scary electrical noises comming from the wall). Third, the management clearly didn't have a clue about anything that was going on and was extremely disrespectful! Never in our lives have we had such incompetent hotel staff! They price themselves as a five star hotel, though they clearly only deserve three. Very disappointing and not worth the money!

Luxury and charm don't often co-exist, but they do so here! Beautiful rooms, funky common areas, friendly staff, and an upscale neighborhood with lots to offer. Indulge and enjoy!

Exceptional front desk staff. Luxurious and clean. I had a nice and comfortable experience. Loved the bathroom, very modern and blissful to relax in. The receptionist was lovely and helped send me the massage therapist from the mind calm massage practice next door as I had terrible migraines after my long trip. The therapist from there gives 20% off massage to their guests, sweet! Will definitely return. Great staff, great facilities.

Everything is perfect, excellent location and very good service. There were some incidents during my stay that were effectively resolved by all the reception team.

The Ampersand is a beautiful hotel located right next to Victoria Station. This can lessen taxi fees if you're willing to take the 'tube' which is easy to figure out after 1-2 rides. It is located next to many quaint restaurants, pastry and ice cream shops in a beautiful small square of sort. The staff is quite nice and helpful. There are added little touches in the room. There is a small refrigerator with free, non-alcoholic drinks that is stocked daily. They will hold your baggage to accommodate arrival/departure times and will even pick up or send baggage to the airport (for a fee). I recommend this hotel.

Beautiful hotel in a fun neighborhood. Excellent service from all staff, great breakfast and coffee, easy underground access, fun to walk about each evening choosing restaurants. Museums down the street.

Bedrooms at The Ampersand are individually decorated with bold contemporary wallpaper designs and original Victorian features. Each room has a minibar, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, and an en suite bathroom.   As well as the hotel’s well-equipped gym, guests will have access to information regarding horse riding, private trainers and running routes.   Within 2 minutes’ walk of the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum, Harrods and Hyde Park are just 15 minutes away by foot.

Made a booking on the day via opentable, when we arrived we were told that the booking was on the system. Had to wait for 20 minutes for a free table. They got the first drink order wrong and a drink had to be sent back. A quiche was missing from one of the afternoon teas that was ordered. They removed the tiering of the plates before we had finished, which impacted our afternoon tea experience. The wait staff were friendly but I felt they were too error prone.

Excellent afternoon tea! Good selection of teas and the vegetarian sandwiches were an imaginative selection, rather than a token gesture. The staff were helpful and polite.

Great hotel — always clean with welcoming staff and an amazing location. Rooms are very small (not a problem for me but just something to know when booking).

It's a lovely hotel. My wife and I ate out at a great restaurant nearby but the breakfast at the hotel was nice. The staff are friendly and helpful. Great location, relaxed and comfortable room that is modern and clean. We slept well and enjoyed our stay in South Kensington.

What I liked: Very convenient location opposite the South Kensington underground station. Original yet elegant design of the public spaces and rooms. Egyptian cotton bed linens. Two types of pillows: firm and soft. Radiant heat and rain shower head in the bathroom. iMacs and color printer available at all times. Fast Wi-Fi. Very friendly and professional staff. Lunch in the drawing rooms. What I didn't like: Teeny size of the room. Very confusing over-designed light controls. Electronic do-not-disturb sign that can be turned on accidentally, resulting in no cleaning of the room that day.

It's a great hotel, located withing stumbling range of the South Kensington tube stop. Our suite at the Ampersand had two cozy rooms and a bath. The sitting room had two mini-fridges stocked with complimentary still and fizzy waters, Cokes, juices, bottle of Absolut vodka (Half-consumed…left by previous guest? ), and a 189 ml bottle of semi-skim milk. The refrigerators’ marble-topped cabinet was the kitchen-area. It had a Nespresso machine with coffee pods. In trying to fire-up the Nespresso machine that first day in London, I fiddled with the switches on wall controlling each electrical outlet, I learned – some eight hours later — that I had cut power to the two fridges. The kitchen amenities included a microwave, toaster and an electric tea kettle. TVs abounded in the suite, with one in the sitting room, another in the bedroom, and a third in the bathroom. The bathroom TV was perched on the wall, in position to be watched whilst soaking in a deep bathtub. Each morning, a London Times would be found hanging on the doorknob. To top things off, there were two butter cookies in the kitchen area that the cookie fairy would magically replace soon after consumed. The hotel had no ice machines, something one takes for granted in the US, and the ice tray in the fridge was empty. So, the first evening I filled the ice tray for tomorrow, and called room service for ice. It arrived promptly and, to celebrate, it was single-malt for all. Oh, the Wi-Fi was a bit slow.

What can we say? Spectacular hotel! Rooms from fairy tales and really friendly service. The tea room, the basement bar and recreation area and design so spot they made everything more enchanting!
Thank You so much guys:).

Got upgraded without asking to a deluxe room. Room was not massive but big enough. It was well appointed with excellent fittings and comfortable bed. Definitely a cut above a normal "business hotel". The location couldn't be better, as you literally fall out of the hotel and into the tube station or one of several cafes and bars. Would definitely stay again.

We visited for the "Science" afternoon tea. It was absolutely brilliant! Fun, quirky and tasty.

Booked through Expedia after reading numerous reviews on different sites, the hotel exceeded my expectations!
I stayed in this hotel for 6 nights in September 2013 in a twin room with my husband. I must now point out the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff: they brought me a bag, they helped us whenever we had questions or requests, always had a smile and words cute for us.
The room was small but elegantly but simply and extremely clean: not a speck of dust or dirt in the wardrobe and bedside table (for security I spent a disinfectant before putting my things, but it was not absolutely necessary).
The linen was changed often and complimentary bathroom kits changed daily.
Due to a bit of fever or had to use room service: prices in line if not lower than those of London restaurants, speed of service (in 10/15 minutes I had dinner in the room) and the food was not bad at all.
So what about the library/game room on the floor — 1? Several books that you can read on your vacation, obviously in English, play station 3 and other games in this spacious room furnished with sofa and armchairs where you can relax after a day of seeing the sights of the city.

Having chosen the Ampersand from Kayak we were not sure exactly what to expect but are very happy to say it exceeded our expectations on many dimensions. A slight problem in getting there was that the taxi driver didn't know it, still thinking of it as the Grosvenor so make sure to have the address handy. Check in was smooth and the lobby decor is very stylish. Our room was small (as to be expected in SW7) but very sensibly set up. Excellent bathroom with high quality amenities. The bar down in the lower level served well thought out cocktails including creative non alcoholic options. We also highly recommend tea and cakes in the lobby. All in we now have a favorite base for our trips to London.

Had, and am still having, a great time at the Ampersand Hotel. Fabulous hotel with immaculate rooms and lounge areas. All the staff are super friendly and ever so helpful in making our stay a success. Would certainly recommend this to all the people I care about.

Excellent Champagne, premium teas and coffees, and home-made pastries in the Ampersand Hotel's Drawing Rooms. Delicious ingredients, striking artwork and, a stylish setting: it's the perfect afternoon! The Apero restaurant also has a gourmet Mediterranean grazing menu with a fantastic variety of ingredients including tomato, shiso, pepper dressing, cucumber, coriander, lime, chicken, peach, the spices sumac and saffron, squid ink, beetroot and ginger.