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Sonder Kensington Gardens
Kensington 15 Prince of Wales Terrace, London W8 5PQ England
Full view
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Room & Suite (16)
Dining (1)
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Avg. €242 /night, 11/7 - 11/8
€405
per night
€301
per night
€197
per night
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4.0
#6 of 404 limited service properties in LondonLocation
Rooms
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Named after the stunning Royal Park, Kensington Gardens is your elegant escape. Bay windows and wrought-iron railings decorate the exterior. Inside, each modern room includes tea, coffee, and local cable. And you can enjoy a complimentary continental breakfast downstairs. The surrounding streets are filled with Victorian homes, traditional pubs, and plenty more London attractions. Watch the ceremonial changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. Experience live entertainment at Royal Albert Hall. Or picnic on the manicured lawns of Hyde Park. You’re never too far from a good time or a frosty pint while at Kensington Gardens. Use the Sonder app to navigate your stay from start to finish. Check in. Request amenities. Connect to WiFi. Contact customer support. All via our small (but mighty) app. Whatever you need, we’ve got you covered. This Sonder has a front desk which is staffed 24/7. Our on-site team is available to ensure you have a better stay.
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Property amenities
Paid public parking nearby
Free internet
Wifi
Free breakfast
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Concierge
Non-smoking hotel
Express check-in / check-out
Complimentary tea
Room features
Desk
Iron
Private bathrooms
Coffee / tea maker
Cable / satellite TV
Flatscreen TV
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Good to know
Languages Spoken
English, French, Spanish
Location
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 98 out of 100
98
London City Airport
16.4 km•
See all flights
Heathrow Airport
19 km•
See all flights
High St Kensington
6 min•Underground
Car Hire
110 Restaurants
within 0.5 kilometers
96Reviews0Q+A12Room tips
ReviewsWe perform checks on reviews.Tripadvisor’s approach to reviewsBefore posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
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We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
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Detailed Reviews
My initial opinions were that it was a very complicated process to get access to the facility, I had booked and paid in good faith through Hotels.com , and was then was instructed to download the sonder app to complete the process, I left this till I was travelling to London, and was asked after I had followed their instructions to upload photo Id , a bit complicated, on a moving train, I should probably explain at this point, that I had not travelled for a while due to Corvid 19, and I had developed anxiety about crowds, so the thought of being on public transport, for extended periods was very uncomfortable, and then to find I may not be able to access my accommodation, was increasing my anxiety levels enormously.
Any way once the process was completed I felt a lot better.
So we got to the hotel which is accessed up some very Steep steps,. Inside was very modern set in a beautiful Georgian building set amongst old and modern constructions, Access is by a code which lets you into the Foyer and your room, the staff were in attendance, and were very helpful, we got to our room which was very clean, and well appointed, this is were they loose that excellent star, Tea and Coffee provisions were limited and the cups were espresso sized, The app does state that more tea coffee ad milk could be requested on a one off basis, but I do feel that the initial supply should be adequate so you can have a decent cuppa when you arrive.
Although I do like to have my room serviced daily provisions were more than adequate ,excluding the drinks.
The location is perfect if you want a bit of culture with V&A, Natural History Museum and The Royal Albert Hall all within a 20 minute walk, if its shopping you want Kensington High Street is about 5 minutes walk, and if you want to go to the big city and all its attractions High street Kensington tube station is 5 minutes away or you can walk 15 minutes to the ornate Gloucester Road station.
About 10 minutes away you have the Luxury of Pubs restaurants and a variety of shops on Gloucester Road.
Any way once the process was completed I felt a lot better.
So we got to the hotel which is accessed up some very Steep steps,. Inside was very modern set in a beautiful Georgian building set amongst old and modern constructions, Access is by a code which lets you into the Foyer and your room, the staff were in attendance, and were very helpful, we got to our room which was very clean, and well appointed, this is were they loose that excellent star, Tea and Coffee provisions were limited and the cups were espresso sized, The app does state that more tea coffee ad milk could be requested on a one off basis, but I do feel that the initial supply should be adequate so you can have a decent cuppa when you arrive.
Although I do like to have my room serviced daily provisions were more than adequate ,excluding the drinks.
The location is perfect if you want a bit of culture with V&A, Natural History Museum and The Royal Albert Hall all within a 20 minute walk, if its shopping you want Kensington High Street is about 5 minutes walk, and if you want to go to the big city and all its attractions High street Kensington tube station is 5 minutes away or you can walk 15 minutes to the ornate Gloucester Road station.
About 10 minutes away you have the Luxury of Pubs restaurants and a variety of shops on Gloucester Road.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: No I think due to the location the rooms would all be restricted view
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Good stay, clean, simple but good. Nice body wash and shampoo in the room, few touches needed adding but nothing major, such as English tea bags and water. Room was a good size and bathroom was good size
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: December 2021
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sonder is an amazing company whose slogan "a better way to stay" is true. Services are limited but everything you need and the properties have been acquired and arranged with genius. The Prince of Wales location is blissfully quiet and elegant. My room had enormous windows - which opened. That's something all Sonder guest quarters I've booked share. Those who have reviewed less favorably don't seem to know the Sonder offer - yes, the manager is not going to run out to get you a cab. The hand holding is limited so that everything goes into the quality of the stay at usually amazing prices.
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Review collected in partnership with Sonder
Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Where to begin. Unhelpful staff and they charge you for everything. I arrived an hour before checkin (which is at 4pm!) after a long haul flight and was told I had to pay £20 to get into my room which was already available and given no other option. They don’t clean your room - you have to pay £25 for the privilege. Checkout is at 11am and they have no flexibility. They take forever to respond to requests, customer service lies to you, and after being told management would call me back asap - I was later told (after management didn’t call), that I may not ever get a response from the management team. Facilities are terrible, shower had no water pressure, there were no plugs, no AC or fan that actually cools and no fridge or iron. One plus is that the location is amazing, however, Sonder rip you off and clearly don’t care for their customers at all - will never return or recommend this chain to anyone.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip: Avoid this hotel and chain. Complete rip off, unhelpful staff who lie to customers and poor...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For the great location we felt it to be good value for money and we also enjoyed the decor of the room, however facilities in the room were poor i.e many plug sockets being none UK plug sockets which meant the lamp placed next to the bed wasn’t plugged in and needing to use a plug across the room for the kettle and chargers. Our sleep was also very disturbed due to being easily able to hear noise from other rooms and the street and very light coloured blinds that would let in light. The brief interactions we had with staff at the entrance were pleasant and having stocked communal cupboards with extra tea, toiletries etc was helpful.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Sonder Team, General Manager at Sonder Kensington Gardens
Responded 25 Oct 2022
Hi, thank you for staying with us and providing a review. While it's lovely to hear you enjoyed the location and decor, we're sorry we fell short of expectations elsewhere. Please accept our apologies for the trouble with the outlets. Our team will address this and see how we can improve. Our team is always happy to provide complimentary white noise machines or earplugs to help alleviate outside noise. We're sorry your sleep was disrupted due to this. If you're looking to stay with us again, please get in touch with our support team to help you find the perfect space for your next stay.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The room was fine, albeit no air conditioning and a rubbish 'fan'. Unfortunately the shockingly bad customer service let the hotel down, no matter how pretty it looked. Staff were never present; we only saw one man upon arrival and he was unwelcoming to say the least. Thank god there wasn't an emergency as you'd be on your own!
The biggest insult of the lot is the two tiny lockers provided upon checkout for the whole hotel. This meant we had to waste £30 booking lockers half way across the city, which also cut our last day short by 1.5 hours. We tried phoning the customer service number provided to discuss it but it was just an automated voice service, which meant you physically could NOT speak to any staff in the hotel who clearly didn't care. Any time we messaged them on Air BnB, they took ages to reply and didn't even answer the questions we had. I've never had a bad experience with Air BnB before, but the arrogance of this 'hotel' is beyond me. Will not stay again, and based on other reviews I don't think many people will.
Basic customer service goes a long way, remember that.
The biggest insult of the lot is the two tiny lockers provided upon checkout for the whole hotel. This meant we had to waste £30 booking lockers half way across the city, which also cut our last day short by 1.5 hours. We tried phoning the customer service number provided to discuss it but it was just an automated voice service, which meant you physically could NOT speak to any staff in the hotel who clearly didn't care. Any time we messaged them on Air BnB, they took ages to reply and didn't even answer the questions we had. I've never had a bad experience with Air BnB before, but the arrogance of this 'hotel' is beyond me. Will not stay again, and based on other reviews I don't think many people will.
Basic customer service goes a long way, remember that.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
+1
Staff was great. Location was great. Room was spartan but clean and well outfitted. The only miss. Really is there is no refridgerator or microwave. I asked for a fridge and they did supply it, but no microwave is a miss. On the huge plus side, they provided AC adapter and there is an essentials cabinet with TP, soap, teas and other essentials on the floor which made it very easy.
Texting with the staff prior to arrival as easy and answers were mostly at coming and well considered. I would stay here again without question and recommend it to all.
Texting with the staff prior to arrival as easy and answers were mostly at coming and well considered. I would stay here again without question and recommend it to all.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sonder at Kensington Gardens is such a lovely little hotel. Thoroughly enjoyed our 3 days here. The decor is lovely, and the location is fab! Such a safe and quiet neighbourhood just a 10 minute walk from Gloucester Road or Kensington High Street tube stations, and basically right on Kensington Gardens/ Hyde Park.
The value for money was great, but you get what you pay for and that’s why I’m giving this place 4 stars:
Aircon was a bit poor in the 30° heat, the extractor fan in the bathroom didn’t work, there was no way to turn on the heated towel rail which was blasting out hot air the whole time, there are only a couple of British sockets/ power points which is weird in a London hotel. The ‘luggage storage’ is just 3 very small lockers so don’t expect to get one or to be able to put anything bulky in them. Because we couldn’t hold our luggage, we called the contact centre and Emma was extremely helpful and allowed us to check in a few hours early!
A pleasant stay overall, would recommend for the price and would definitely stay again!
The value for money was great, but you get what you pay for and that’s why I’m giving this place 4 stars:
Aircon was a bit poor in the 30° heat, the extractor fan in the bathroom didn’t work, there was no way to turn on the heated towel rail which was blasting out hot air the whole time, there are only a couple of British sockets/ power points which is weird in a London hotel. The ‘luggage storage’ is just 3 very small lockers so don’t expect to get one or to be able to put anything bulky in them. Because we couldn’t hold our luggage, we called the contact centre and Emma was extremely helpful and allowed us to check in a few hours early!
A pleasant stay overall, would recommend for the price and would definitely stay again!
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Don't be fooled by the pictures (I was). Nasty set-up. Interior of building is somewhere between a half-way house and student accommodation, lots of fire doors and cheap wood. Room stinks of carpet freshener, tiny glass fridge on the floor, view of an air conditioner. No glasses in the room.
No answer from online concierge. All for £216.
Turned around, booked a hotel. Did manage to get a full refund. Beware of Sonder brand. Business plan seems to be based on pretty pictures and relying on guests without alternatives when they see the reality.
No answer from online concierge. All for £216.
Turned around, booked a hotel. Did manage to get a full refund. Beware of Sonder brand. Business plan seems to be based on pretty pictures and relying on guests without alternatives when they see the reality.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We booked the “Serene Room” for what seemed a reasonable price for Kensington. $1,000 for 4 nights. Stay here if all you need is a good bed to sleep in and a shower and plan to spend no time in your room. Scarcely room for one person to move around. No bureau and tiny closet has no space to hang clothes, Tiny desk unusable because of television we could not even turn on. Only small chair squeezed between bottom of bed and desk, barely room on floor to live out of two carry-ons. Our room on the street level had no natural light, no view, window fogged and locked shut. We could not tell what kind of day it was. The hotel’s only “lobby” is a small awkward space with the only apparent staff on site at their desk staring at a screen with a small sofa and a few lockers. During a 4 night stay, not once did whoever was working lift their eyes to smile, say “hello, how’s your stay?” If you want customer service onsite here, you have to talk to someone in San Francisco. In sum — inhospitality behind a beautiful facade in an unbeatable location.
Final note: I did experience the simple warmth we had been missing on our last day when I encountered a kind woman who lovingly and proudly tends the several plants in the lobby.
Final note: I did experience the simple warmth we had been missing on our last day when I encountered a kind woman who lovingly and proudly tends the several plants in the lobby.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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"The area is awesome for exploring the city. The street is quiet but close to a main road with shopping and tube access."Read full review
PRICE RANGE
€180 - €287 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomEnglandLondonSouth Kensington
NUMBER OF ROOMS
38
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect nightly room rates, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Sonder Kensington Gardens
Which popular attractions are close to Sonder Kensington Gardens?
Nearby attractions include Rutland Outdoor Pursuits (0.3 km), Kensington High Street (0.4 km), and Kensington Palace (0.4 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Sonder Kensington Gardens?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, free internet access, and a concierge.
What food & drink options are available at Sonder Kensington Gardens?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, complimentary tea, and free instant coffee during their stay.
Is parking available at Sonder Kensington Gardens?
Yes, paid public parking nearby is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Sonder Kensington Gardens?
Conveniently located restaurants include Launceston Place, Grato, and Memories of India Kensington.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Sonder Kensington Gardens?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and French.
Are there any historical sites close to Sonder Kensington Gardens?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Houses of Parliament (4.2 km), Tower of London (7.6 km), and Churchill War Rooms (3.9 km).