Cranley Gardens Hotel

The Cranley Gardens Hotel is located in South Kensington, off of Old Brompton Road, about a 5 block walk from the Gloucester Road tube station. After our daily adventures, we felt it was refreshing to return to a hotel that was in a neighborhood where the locals live & work instead of being in a downtown hotel where the noise is constant. We found the area to be relatively quiet, given that this is London.

The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We shared a triple room, which was way more spacious than we expected for a European hotel. The washroom was adequate. The room was very clean, albeit a bit dated and worn. The beds were all comfortable except for the pillows, which were flat. There is no air conditioning in this hotel. Steps to some rooms are steep, and the usual small European elevator is available. Our room faced nothing, which we preferred, as it was probably more quiet than rooms facing the street. The breakfast was pretty dismal for this day & age: toast with jams or cheese, about 5 different cold cereals, prunes, juices, coffee & tea.

There is a small bar in the lobby which was open in the evenings. Wi-fi is available in the lobby only, and there is one computer terminal available for guests to access. The front desk staff were all very helpful with directions, restaurant suggestions, and other information.

Near the Gloucester Road tube station are restaurants, pubs, pharmacies, a grocery store, post office, a couple of little souvenir shops, flower shop, newstand, and more.

I spent 4 nights at the Cranley Gardens, which has a terrific location in South Kensington - close to restaurants, museums, tube and bus service. My room was small by American standards, but comfortable with an unremarkable view. Overall, quite adequate for my needs. The staff was generally friendly and helpful. Breakfast was continental, but very good. This isn't The Ritz, but as a small, modestly priced hotel, Cranley Gardens does a good job.

We spent two nights in a twin room overlooking the street. The main problem was the plumbing. The toilet wouldn't flush and there was very little water pressure for the shower. We reported the toilet and the gentleman at the desk was very apologetic but didn't seem surprised. When we returned to our room at the end of the day, it had been fixed, but still only flushed on about every 10th try! The mattresses were hard and the pillows thin and the TV did not work. The size of the room was better than expected and there wasn't much noise from the street. The decor was decent. The breakfast room in the basement was pleasant though there were water stains on the wallpaper. There was a good selection of food (3 or 4 cold cereals, prunes, yogurt, a selection of juices, fresh toast, cheese etc and a hot breakfast was available at extra charge. We paid about $165/night (Canadian) through our travel agent. and by Canadian standards this would be a rip off, but from what I've read, by UK standards it was about average. I would rate this as 2 star accommodation, not 3.