Rydges is a newly refurbed four-star hotel in the heart of Kensington and Chelsea, just minutes away from Gloucester Road tube station, the V&A, History and Science museum and Hyde Park. We went along to see how it faired up to other London hotels…
The 81 room boutique hotel is set in a collection of converted townhouses, first impressions are good – the lobby is clean, modern and spacious. The front desk staff are welcoming and efficient, we arrived early which meant our room wasn’t ready, however when we returned we found our bags were already upstairs waiting for us.
We stayed in an Executive Double Room which was fairly spacious with a trademark “Rydges Dream Bed”, Nespresso machine with complimentary capsules, bathroom with bath and shower, selection of magazines, mini-bar, Get Flirty products, fluffy robes and slippers. The decor is a continuation of the lobby, simple but clean, modern and easy on the eye.
We were pleasantly surprised when we found a note in the bathroom reading “Hey good looking, Fancy a drink?” they had obviously heard the rumours and seen our photo before! Well that’s what we thought until we read that every guest in an Executive room gets one of these notes which they can exchange at the Polo Bar for a free drink. Better luck next time…
That night we enjoyed dinner in the hotel’s restaurant Jam Cupboard, our favourite public area in the hotel. Bright and modern with splashes of colour and trendy lighting, the venue works great as both a restaurant and breakfast room. Diners can choose from an a’la Carte menu or a slightly cheaper set dinner menu offering 3 or 2 courses for £15 or £20. Stand out dishes were the King Prawn and Chorizo starter, the Hake with lime courgette and chilli and the Pork Belly with Pesto.
As a four-star deluxe hotel Rydges hits the right notes, our only grumbles were that WiFi wasn’t free (costs £10 per day) and the Fresh Orange at breakfast was concentrated. However with rooms from just £109 including VAT it’s a pretty safe bet, especially given it’s convenient location.
61 Gloucester Road, SW7 4PE
www.rydges.com