Kensington Guide
The Borough of Kensington in London is one London's most upmarket areas, it boasts many fine London Hotels, Restaurants and is home to many top London Tourist Attractions. Kensington and Knightsbridge also have strong Royal connections, hence being named a Royal Borough and it is also the most densely populated borough in the whole of the United Kingdom. The Borough of Kensington is located on the Western side of Westminster, covering an area of approximately 12 square kilometres and lies immediately south-west of Hyde Park and extends south to Chelsea. It is a very popular tourist area due to the attractions, the high number of hotels and the relative safeness of the area even at night.
Getting Around
Travel is easy into Kensington and Knightsbridge via the M25/M4 motorways from the West. The Piccadilly line serves the area direct from London's Heathrow Airport (about 40 minutes travel), The Circle & District lines also serve this area. The local tube station is Kensington High Street on the Circle and District line. Taxis are also plentiful in this part of west London. Just raise your arm and they will stop for you.
Kensington Hotels
Hotels in Kensington & Knightsbridge are many and vary from simple, basic accommodations up to World renowned 5 star hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental, The Milestone or the Bentley Kempinski Hotel. In this part of London everybody is catered for. Many of the more upmarket of Londons hotels are located here and boast some of the best spa's in London. Staying in Kensington and Knightsbridge offers the visiting tourist much to see and do, it is safe and easy to travel around and is often more affordable than you might think.
A fare bet for your choosen Kensington Hotel is the
Holiday Inn Kensington Forum which is one of the largest in the world. This modern purpose built London hotel is in an ideal location for travel around London and offers some suprisingly good prices.
Some of the best hotels in central London can be found in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. They all have their own unique reputation, but the 54 main ones range from 1 star to 5 stars with most being 3 stars. They all have one thing in common though; location, location, location.
Shopping
Shopping in Kensington is a delight and again offers the discerning Traveller a host of well known department stores and individual designer shops. Harrods, London's most famous shop is located in Knightsbridge, on Brompton Road. Harrod's window displays are always a treat, especially at Christmas time. The famous food hall in Harrod's is worth a visit for the decoration alone. Harrod's also has many small restaurants and cafe's to dine in, within it's store, you can take afternoon tea, enjoy sushi, or pizza the choice is varied and it's a welcome break from all that shopping . Also situated in Knightsbridge, is another famous shopping institution, Harvey Nichols, this like Harrod's offers more upmarket designer wear, but the food & wine on the top floor is also worth visiting. Whilst there, book a table at the renowned 5th floor restaurant, you could find yourself dining amongst London's elite. Individual Designer shops can be found on Sloane Street, with a host of famous fashion houses located here. Kensington & Knightsbridge offer a veritable feast for the shopper. Many more shops are located on Kensington High Street, here you will find wall to wall shops offering a whole spectrum of goods from household wares and electrical to clothes and stationary.
Shopping in Kensington High Street is now considered to be the best place for what the English eccentrically call; `Retail Therapy`. Kurt Geiger is just one of many shoe shops that cater for that unique look. The High Street has just about every kind of shop on it for the London visitor. A pharmacy, newsagent, various banks and cash machines, cafes, off license. clothes shops and even a supermarket, so if you've forgotten something or have run out of your favourite perfume or cologne, you will find a shop here that supplies it. The clothes shops are also quite well patronised by Londoners, locals and visitors alike.
Dining out
Whatever your culinary tastes are Kensington High Street and the side streets that lead off it, have something for most people to enjoy. It is also a good area for those who want to experiment with other cultural foods. From Chinese, Malayan, Italian, English, Middle Eastern, Cuban, Japanese and an Eclectic restaurant. There are some 50 odd eateries within a short walk of the tube station, which is always a good point to focus your directions from. It isn't always cheap to eat out in Kensington and many of the hotels have their own exclusive restaurants, but it is joy to behold and even if you are on a tight budget, eating out here should be on the list of `things to blow the budget on`. It is also a good idea to ask the hotel reception for recommendations.
Health and Leisure
A few of the Kensington Hotels have their own leisure suites and gyms. Club Kensington, The David Lloyd centre and Soma centre are all in Kensington High Street, with others close by. Day tickets can normally be bought by visitors. The David Lloyd centre has a swimming pool as well. The Phillimore club is a women only club and beauty centre, and it boasts a beautiful swimming pool.
Kensington Pub Culture
Kensington has some fine pubs, but a `spit and sawdust` establishment is not one you'll find here. The pub culture is more `Hooray Henry` than `Hooray Harry`, and the dress code is somewhat more fashionable. The Goat, Berties Bar and The Prince of Wales are just 3 on the High Street alone, most of the bars are in the side streets and it is fun exploring the area if you are a first timer here. There are a couple of clubs here as well, but they are private members clubs that cater to the upper classes, they are very particular who they let in so dress smart. A casino the Connoisseur Club can also be found in the High Street, inside the Royal Garden hotel.
Places of Worship
St. Mary Abbots is an Anglican church and Our Lady of Victories is a Roman Catholic Church, both can be found on the High Street.
Places of Interest in the area
Many of London's famous landmarks are found in this borough.
The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum are all within easy walking distance of Kensington High Street. Kensington library is open to the public most days. Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park and Holland Park are all within the area, these parks are well kept and patrolled. In the summertime you will find workers having their lunch here, amongst families and locals enjoying a quiet and tranquil park in a busy area of the capital. For those visitors to Earls Court and Olympia, whether it's to see a concert or an exhibition; Earls Court is just 1 stop on the tube. Olympia is also nearby and accessible by tube from Earls Court tube Station.
The stunning oval shaped Royal Albert Hall, host & home to many musical concerts / sporting events and rememberance occasions is located in the Borough of Kensington. The Royal Albert Hall makes a valuable contribution to Kensington in terms of its architecture and the events it plays host to, most notably the Proms which is held each year and is one of the Worlds largest classical musical festivals. The Royal Albert Hall was opened in 1871, a dedication from Queen Victoria to her husband, the late Prince Albert. Opposite is the Prince Albert Memorial, a famous London landmark. The memorial was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in the Gothic revival style. The Prince Albert memorial was commissioned by the late Queen Victoria after her beloved husbands death in 1861. The memorial is located on the periphery of Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. This memorial was recently fully restored and Prince Albert is now fully covered in gold leaf sitting atop of his throne gazing upon a view that has hardly changed since it first appeared on the London skyline in the latter part of the 1800s
For those wishing to while away the hours strolling through one of London's most famous Parks, then Kensington Gardens is the place to go. Within the grounds of Kensington Gardens you have, Kensington Palace, the late Princess Dianas London residence, the Serpentine Art Gallery, The bronze statue of Peter Pan and the Serpentine water which stretches from Hyde Park into Kensington Gardens, the Serpentine is home to birds such as the Green Woodpeckers and records of birdlife have been kept for this area for over 100 years, almost 200 species have been noted to date. Kensington Gardens now has, as a homage to the late Princess Diana, a memorial / childrens park dedicated to her memory, this is located in Kensington Gardens where she often walked with the young Princes William and Harry. You will find nowhere more tranquil and pleasing to the eye than sitting by the serpentine with the London skyline before you, truly one of the Worlds most exciting cities
