The Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington offers apartment suites with kitchens, plus an amazing free breakfast buffet, for those watching their budget. It makes a great base for exploring the city and provides a good balance between comfort and affordability.
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Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Hotel Review
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Location
The hotel is well-situated within Kensington, one of London’s most beautiful neighbourhoods. It is located just off the main road (Cromwell), conveniently next to a large Tesco Superstore (which is similar to a Walmart back in North America), giving you easy access to get groceries or anything else you may need.
The hotel is in a more quiet area, but popular Kensington High Street is just a short walk away (less than 10 minutes) and Earl’s Court tube station is just an 8 minute walk away. It may not be super close to London’s main attractions, but if you prefer more of a neighbourhood vibe, this is a great choice. The Tube is close enough to take you to wherever else you may want to go.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Address: 181-183 Warwick Road, London, England, United Kingdom W14 8PU
How to get to Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Nearest Tube Station: Earl’s Court (0.5 miles away)
By Tube
One major advantage of this hotel is that it is easy to get to from London Heathrow Airport as it doesn’t require any transfers when taking the Tube. You just hop on the Piccadilly line at Heathrow, and Earl’s Court is 13 stops away, taking about 40 minutes. Better yet, the journey only costs £1.90 if you use your contactless credit card!
Earl’s Court Station is great because it has lifts (which not all stations do), making it much easier when you have your luggage with you. Once you exit the station, the Residence Inn is just an eight minute walk up Warwick Road.
By Bus
Taking the Tube is the cheapest way to get from London Heathrow to the hotel, but you also have the option of taking the bus. The National Express Buses run from Heathrow Central Bus Station direct to Earl’s Court, stopping at the West Cromwell Road Tesco Stop, just two blocks from the hotel.
The journey takes as quick as 30-40 minutes. Fares start at £8.40, which is more than the Tube, but it is a bit of a shorter walk. Buses 25, 401, 403, 444, 501, 502, and 504 all stop here. You can plan your journey and purchase tickets directly on the National Express Bus website.
By Taxi
If you don’t want to take public transport, you of course can catch a taxi from the airport to get to the hotel. It is only 14 miles away, but the journey will likely be slower due to traffic. It will also be much more expensive. The estimated taxi fare to the hotel is about £50-60.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Parking
If you have decided to rent a car or drive in from elsewhere in the country, it is important to know that the hotel does not have parking on-site. You will need to park in one of the off-site lots nearby and pay for parking, which can be around £40 per day. Use https://www.yourparkingspace.co.uk/ to find available spots nearby that you can book ahead of time online.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Check In
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Check In Time: 3:00pm
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Check Out Time: 12:00pm
The check in area is on the smaller side, so we did find it a bit crowded at times. There were only two or three people working at the desks so sometimes there can be a wait. However, the staff were friendly and efficient.
We arrived at the hotel right at 3pm and our room was ready for us. Since we are Platinum Elite members with Marriott Bonvoy, the staff kindly informed us we had been upgraded to a Deluxe Suite from the One Bedroom Suite we had originally booked.
We were given our room keys, informed about the free breakfast, and directed to the elevators to the right of the check in desks. One thing to note is that the elevators were always quite busy so there often was a wait.
One thing I did appreciate was that there were umbrellas available to rent in the lobby! They were only £2 to rent for 48 hours, or £20 if you decide to keep it. Perfect if you’re caught with rainy London weather without an umbrella.
Room Review: Deluxe Suite Open Plan
As mentioned above, we were upgraded to a Deluxe Suite which is a larger one bedroom suite with a double bed, sofa bed, and full kitchen. While this may be a “larger” suite, don’t expect North American standards of “large”. We found the room to be adequate, but on the smaller side. However, it was nice to have a separate sleeping area from the kitchen/work area.
Bed
The bed is only a double bed, so it is definitely smaller than we are used to in North America. It was comfy enough, but not amazing, and I didn’t love the pillows.
Also, the bed was right next to the door and hallway, so we could sometimes hear people passing by. If you are a light sleeper, this is not ideal.
There was a small flat screen TV in front of the bed, in addition to the one in the sitting area.
The sofa bed is a double, so it was a good size for our daughter and she slept comfortably on it. We had listed 3 guests on our reservation. So when we arrived, they had already set up the sofa bed, which was nice.
There was another TV on the wall in front of the sofa bed.
Bathroom
The bathroom was clean, but tiny! There was a sink on the left with hardly any counter space, a toilet in front, and a shower on the right (no tub). The bathroom was so small that two adults could barely fit inside. Good thing there was a sliding door to save space.
No individual toiletries are provided – only the pump-style containers in the shower.
Kitchen
A big draw of the Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington is that all the rooms come with a fully equipped kitchen.
There was an oven, two-burner cooktop, fridge, toaster, kettle, knives, bottle opener, and pretty much all the essential kitchenware you might need.
If you are planning a longer stay in London, this is obviously ideal as you can grab some groceries next door at Tesco and prepare some meals in your room to save money. The ability to prepare food in your room, plus the daily free breakfast buffet, will certainly help you save!
Minibar
Opposite the kitchen, you will find complimentary teas, instant coffee and coffee pods.
There were no sodas, alcohol or snacks provided, though.
Sitting Area
In the sitting area you will find a sofa (which we used as a sofa bed for our daughter), TV, coffee table, and small dining table with two chairs.
View
The view from our room was decent, although nothing spectacular. It was nice to have a wide and unobstructed view of the sprawling city in the distance, but we also just looked over the car park of the Tesco next door.
Does Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington have free Wi-Fi?
Yes! Free Wi-Fi is available at Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Breakfast
A highlight of many guests’ stay here is the free breakfast buffet. We always enjoy a free breakfast buffet at hotels, as it can certainly help save money, especially if you fill up enough on a late breakfast and can skip lunch. However, many free hotel breakfasts are quite basic with not many options. Luckily, that’s not the case at this hotel!
The complimentary breakfast buffet here has many good options, more than we were expecting from a Residence Inn!
From a wide variety of pastries, including gluten-free options, juices, espresso coffees, yogurts, cereals, fresh fruits to cheese, deli meats and eggs.
There was enough to please both adults and children alike. Our 3-year-old thoroughly enjoyed her breakfast here.
The only downside is that it gets very busy and crowded during breakfast. There is ample seating available, but you may have to walk all around to the back to find a free table. It’s best to go before 8am if you are looking for a less busy time. When we went around 9:30am it was very busy.
Breakfast Hours: 6:30am-10:30am
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Grab & Go Food
If you are looking for a quick bite, there is a 24 hour Grab & Go Market in the lobby where you can find a variety of snacks and beverages.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Pet Policy
If you are traveling with pets, you will be happy to know that they are welcome at this hotel. You are allowed up to two pets, 22kg maximum weight each. The pet fee is £50 per room per stay and is non-refundable.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Fitness Centre
There is a 24 hour fitness centre available for guests to use in the basement. We didn’t have time to check it out, but it looked decent with free weights, weight machines, treadmills, and exercise bikes available.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Laundry Facilities
There are complimentary communal laundry machines for guests to use in the basement. This is particularly handy for those on a longer stay!
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Nearby Attractions
When staying at this hotel, you are within walking distance to many attractions, such as:
- Kensington High Street (0.3 miles)
- Kensington Palace (1.3 miles)
- Hyde Park (1.3 miles)
- Royal Albert Hall (1.5 miles)
- Natural History Museum (1.2 miles)
- Victoria and Albert Museum (1.4 miles)
We walked to all of the above, and took the Tube to other attractions such as Buckingham Palace and Afternoon Tea. For more ideas, check out our One Day in London Itinerary!
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Verdict
This hotel is a good choice for travelers looking for a clean, modern hotel at a more reasonable price, especially for a longer stay or for those traveling with pets. We found it very good value compared to other nearby hotels that were charging more and looked older, smaller, and did not include a kitchen nor free breakfast.
We would certainly stay here again when visiting London! While not immediately next to any major attractions, we still found it a convenient location and easy to get around by foot and Tube.
Booking Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington
You can search for Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington room rates for your dates here on Booking.com and book your stay.
If you are a Marriott Bonvoy member, you can use your points or Free Night Awards here. At only 35,000 points per night, this is a great way to use a 35K Free Night Award certificate, as almost all the other London Marriott properties cost significantly more points.
Residence Inn by Marriott London Kensington Email Address: reservations@rilondonkensington.com
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Brochure and map of the hotel
Brochure map of hotel