Fraser Place Queen's Gate

I stayed in this hotel twice in the month of October, 4 days each time. I wanted a serviced apartment with a full kitchen that I could use, so I never bothered to try their breakfast room.

I got a room upgrade the first time, and this basement unit was very spacious. It had a separate kitchen with dining table for 6, a living room, powder room, and bedroom with bath. My room the second time around was adequate. Furnishings are good but I would have wanted a dishwasher in the kitchen. Rooms are not equipped with washer/dryers. There is a laundry room equipped with 3 washers and 3 dryers which guests can use for free. Problem is you have to queue to use this facility, and that can mean a long wait.

Location is great with everything nearby ie. tube, bus, supermarkets, restaurants, taxi stand. The entire hotel staff is wonderful. They go out of their way to please you.

My boyfriend and I booked this hotel with the help of a travel agent. With so many choices out there we needed to narrow down our options. Other than a clean hotel in a nice/safe area that offered breakfast, our main criteria included a shower, air conditioning and an elevator. (After hauling luggage through the Tube an elevator is worth it.) After reading this site's reviews, browsing the photos and doing some other research I was convinced Fraser Place offered the best value for my wallet.

Kensington is the perfect part of town to escape from the hustle and bustle of the touristy crowd. It is a really nice part of London. As a matter of fact, our cab driver thought he made a mistake because the hotel looks like any other apartment/townhouse on the street. You know you've made a good choice when the street is lined with a Porsche here, a Bentley there and a woman parking her Benz right out front.

Compared to other UK/European hotels our room was quite large. And we opted for the studio rather than the 1 bedroom deluxe. The bed was suitable. I believe it was queen sized. I passed out every night from being up all day walking around and taking in the city.

Our room on the fifth floor was right across from the elevator and it was surprisingly quiet. No noisy disturbances. It was a nice surprise to find a big balcony with a decent view. There was even a little table and two chairs where you could relax and have some morning coffee/tea.

There is a small kitchenette equipped with a sink, mini fridge, utensils, tableware and pots and pans. The mini fridge was great ... especially since there was a WaitRose (a mini grocery store) around the corner. Yay for chilled beer!!

The bathroom was big, as far as UK standards are concerned ... meaning two people could be in there at the same time. It had a large window, which I also liked. The shower was not ideal. Poor water pressure unfortunately. It was especially bothersome to get the water to stay warm and not super hot. The L'Occitane bath products were a nice touch though.

Our package included breakfast, which was pretty standard, self-serve. Choice of cereals, doughnuts, croissants and jam, toast, yogurt and fresh fruit. The fruit was the best part: apples, oranges, pears and bananas. Coffee, hot chocolate, OJ and water were offered.

The nearest Tube is Gloucester Road, which is a short walk from the hotel. There is a post office nearby as well, which is handy if you need to mail post cards. Also, check out the restaurant Byron for a really good burger on Kensington High Street just around the corner. Be aware though, don't plan on shopping for souvenirs in this area. Even though there are a few hotels scattered around this area, it is still very residential, which definitely adds to its appeal.

Overall, good experience. Great, friendly service. Clean, comfortable room. I would stay here again on my next UK trip.

We booked with BA for 4 nights at the Fraser Place and got a really good deal. As soon as we arrived were told we'd been upgraded to Fraser Suites, just across the (very busy) street. The apartment was spacious with a fully equiped kitchen and reasonably confortable. Because there's no facilities at the Fraser Suites we had to go each morning across the street to have our breakfast, but to be honest, there was no point in doing so. It was by far the weakest breakfast we've ever had. Our first breakfast was on the Friday and by Monday, of the poor selection available in the first place, there was nothing left. I've never seen guests taking their own buns for breakfast, or their own, normal, milk but I have here. Another thing was the air conditioner. Between not working (we were offered heaters to solve the problem) and making loud noises at 6.00 am, it was not reliable. The service was appaling. We arranged for a late check-out only to discover we had been checked-out while away on a last sightseeing. Our luggage was still in the apartment but our key cards didn't work anymore. When explained the situation we were allowed in our apartment only to see there was an electrician in checking the plugs. Complete lack of communication between the different shifts left us just wanting to leave.