England London Hilton Olympia Kensington

[lawdeda]

4*Hilton London Olympia -- Kensington -- February 2005 for 2 nights for about $65. I really liked this hotel -- with a great staff, wonderful breakfast buffet and large, clean room. The location was near a train station and a 15 minute walk from the Kensington High Tube station. Unfortunately, it was a abit out of the way (at least I felt it was).

[lwitchel]

I stayed here at the end of May, 2005. I found the Olympia to be a rather drab, labyrinthine, but serviceable hotel. The corridors are small and dark; the rooms are also on the small side. I was given a room with twin beds; it was rather plain and small but no real complaints. For those who like this (like me) the beds are very firm. I did not use the fitness center or the restaurant. It

[valencia]

I have just returned from a short visit at the olympia hilton. i was concerned of its distance from the "center",

We only used the convenient bus instead of the further away tube. the bus stop is literally across the street and are very frequent.

great location for shopping, notting hill, kensington palace and orangery.

it is so easy as there are two or three lines that will take you inevitably near where you want to go.

The room was nice, not huge, and the bathroom was typically hilton with evelyn crabtree amenities. Tea, coffee and butter cookies in room daily.

we did not use any of the services of the hotel but since i am a hilton honors member i was given a free paper everyday and also bottles of mineral water.

sign up free at www.hilton.com

very friendly, helpful staff.

You can buy the travel card across the street at newspaper shop. also, about 1.5 blocks down

there are two persian? delicatessans that have a lot of interesting fresh fruit, etc. they had pommegranates already peeled in paper cups to take away.

there is a restaurant across the street called "the hare and the tortoise". we didn't try it but it filled up quickly with locals.

There is not much to do in the evening in this area after hours.

The hotel bar was spacious but modern and minimalist and it had flat screen t.v.s around.

i have no complaints but if you are going to be in west end or riverside all the time, this will take you 20 minutes more on the bus, but it is a pleasant twenty minutes past many monuments, and a safe, quiet area.

[OSUBUCKEYES]

I thought this hotel was miserable. I would not stay here again and would specifically avoid this zone so I would not wind up with this hotel. The area way fine it was more residential but had plenty of restaurants, bars, etc. The hotel itself was crap. The room we were put in did not have a window to the outside. The hotel is in a building built like a maze and some of the rooms have one window which faces out towards a wind tunnel and other rooms. The other rooms are about ten feet away. There is no hope of ever seeing sunlight from the windows. Otherwise it was built like a labrynth. To get to your room one has to climb up and down stairs on each floor. Service was bad and staff wasnt very pleasant.

[blindman]

Got this for e very high $115 for one Saturday night in August 2007

Just needed a room so not concerned about the distance from the attractions.

I agree with valencia

I signed up free at hilton.com to HHonours and duly got my free water and paper :)

Tour group had filled the check in late afternoon, luckily I'd checked in at around 13:30 Just a mention that my room was pre paid.

Internet is still

[Rhine-and-Roses]

I stayed here in April of 2008 for $80 (plus fees). I arrived at 9:30 a.m. and was given a room immediately. The room was about 16 by 18 feet, which included the bathroom. The ceiling had been retrofitted with AC ductwork, which lowered the ceiling to the height of a normal door in the entry and bathroom. Add to that, the bathtub was raised about 10 inches above the floor, so the ceiling in the shower is impossibly low. At 5'1", even I thought it was too low! It would be tough to shower for anyone taller than 5'4".

The room was clean, with an attempt to make it look a bit less drab with new linens, but no success. There were dents in the walls and ceiling, marred furniture, scuffed walls. It had a generally dingy look, but the carpet, furniture, and bath were all clean. There were ample linens, pillows, and a duvet.

My room looked out over a series of pipes and other industrial looking things, with another building close enough to see faces. The windows opened, but it would have been too noisy to sleep.

There was a small, flat screen TV, a tea service, and a small table and easy chair, a desk with chair, and a wardrobe that included a safe.

The common areas were dingy. I did not eat in the hotel. The lobby had no real sitting area, and the escalator to the restaurant gave you the feeling of being in a dated mall.

I really did not care for the hotel, but my experience with the staff was great. They were cordial, allowed me a late check out, and went out of their way to help me.

The location is a bit farther out than I would have liked, but the number 10 bus takes you from the hotel along Kensington High Street, past Knightsbridge (Harrods, Fortnum and Mason, Burberry, etc), along Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Marble Arch, and then turns down Oxford St.) The number 9 takes you as far as Knightsbridge, then heads off towards Picadilly. I was always able to get a front seat on the top, so despite the 20 minutes it took to Marble Arch, it was a great view. Buy a day travel card.

[bkcarolina]

I never bid the Kensington zone just to be sure I don't get stuck in this hotel. I've stayed there about five times, using priceline, hotwire, and delta miles, and while sometimes it's okay, the hotel is always shabby. Rooms can be extremely small, the hallways are tortured, and when I showed up looking for a room for two, which I had reserved, they wanted to charge me extra. We finally worked it out, but it wasn't easy, even though I had my confirmation showing the room was for two.

The nearby tube station only has trains once every 20 or 30 minutes, so is generally inconvenient. The Kensington High Street station is a 30 minute walk. Very few restaurants and shops nearby, so not a neighborhood for hanging out in. Best to avoid.

[Jesper]

Hi,

After reading several bad reviews here and in TA, we was very skeptical. But in fact this is a very nice hotel, clean - great rooms - a very comfortable bed and lots of towels,shampoo and what ever you need. Most of all we got a very nice and warm welcome when we showed up. We got a room 156 on the first floor, a bit noise from the street but you can sleep.

The hotel is a bit out of town - a 10 min walk from the tube Kensington Olympia, but there are 3 busses right on the street , no. 9 -10 and 21 and even a nightbus. Bus 9 and 10 take you downtovn to Piccadilly Circus or the tube at Hyde Park Corner, so its very convenient and not that bad.

There are a few pubs and restaurants just around the corner and even a grosery store where you can have drinks,fruits and sweets.

We did not have breakfast at the hotel its pricy ( 17