1. 34 FIRST FOR TRAVEL Newsdesk (0118) 918 3020 getreading.co.uk l GET READING l FRIDAY OCTOBER 11 2013
getaway
Making the
most of your
time off
sarahhamilton@
trinitysouth.co.uk
T
HE AMPERSAND,
standing hands on hips in
the centre of lively South
Kensington, has recently
enjoyed a multi-million pound
refurbishment.
We arrived in the afternoon into
a bright and inviting entrance
porch and up some steps to a smart
reception area of marble, glass,
leather and comfy sofas in black
and white. A light installation
spiralling round a central pole –
light bulbs with wings – in the
middle of the main stairs was an
impressive introduction to the
hotel and reflected the rest of its
style – graceful, quirky and fun.
A glance right and a space called
The Drawing Room was Elle
Decoration objectified. Bright and
colourful without being aggressive,
the lounge has strong main colours
of corals, reds and turquoise, all
grounded with white and greys.
Quirky art and upholstery with a
flora and fauna theme are dotted
about – rightly so, this is a
paradise and with a long table
groaning with the most delectable
cakes and tea time lovelies, it is a
garden of temptation and
langourousness. And of course is a
nod to the Victorian ancestry of
this hotel and its proximity to the
art and science museums on its
doorstep. If you lack a sweet tooth
it also serves artisanal coffees and
Champagne. And don’t worry, the
hotel also has a gym to work it off.
The attention to design
detail and style is absolutely
exquisite. Throughout, the design
team for this hotel should be
given several awards for their
If you are looking for a hotel
in the capital that is the
epitome of cool London
without the ostentation then
The Ampersand is for you,
writes SARAH HAMILTON
& why not?
Stylish: The Drawing Room at Ampersand, the cool reception area, the
Apero restaurant and the ‘light bulbs with wings’
& there’s
more...
n Sarah stayed at The
Ampersand Hotel, 10 Harrington
Road, South Kensington,
London, SW7 3ER.
Visit www.ampersandhotel.com,
call 020 7589 5895,
fax 020 7589 5511 or email
stay@ampersandhotel.com.
n Superior rooms start from
£200 + VAT per room per night,
balconied suites start from £385
+ VAT and both rates include
breakfast.
vision and execution.
We were shown to our room,
keyless entry, a luxuriously kitted
out space of midnight blue, soft
greys, blacks and white.
The hotel has the eminently
sensible policy of everything in the
minibar being free, which includes
water, soft drinks, spirit
miniatures, a posh chocolate bar
and a mini milk carton. Tea and
coffee is also complimentary, it’s
just a few snacks like crisps and
popcorn that are extra.
The bed was spacious and
comfortable and the good-sized
bathroom with shower and
bath included a mini TV in
the wall and well thought out
toiletries such as loofahs,
individually packed eye make
up remover pads with lotion
and a shower cap –with
hairband! My one gripe was that it
would have been good to have more
plug sockets near a well lit mirror
to dry one’s hair and generally get
ready especially in the evening.
Instead I had to plug in at one
end of the room and stretch the
cord to the wardrobe mirror which
was in dim light.
The Ampersand, which has
recently relaunched, was built in
1888, and is one of London’s
original Victorian boutique hotels.
Formerly known as The
Grosvenor Kensington Hotel, it
was last year taken over by a group
of private investors and given a
£13 million makeover.
It has 111 bedrooms,
all individually styled,
some with balconies,
over seven floors.
And its name, the
‘and’ symbol, nods to
the hotel’s role in
connecting its guests
to the best of South
Kensington and, I
would say, the rest of
pulsing London.
The hotel’s design is
inspired by the world
around the hotel – the
famous museums of
Natural History,
Science and Victoria
& Albert, as well as the Royal
Albert Hall, all devoted to botany,
music, geometry, ornithology and
astronomy. They have taken these
five themes and tried to
incorporate them including the
20-foot staircase light installation I
mentioned before, accented with
goose feather wings, to the bespoke
upholstery featuring flowers and
ferns and five themed bedrooms
suites.
South Kensington station is the
nearest tube stop and the hotel is
just a short stroll over the road.
It’s a fantastic location for little
shops and eateries – we had lunch
at an outdoor table of the buzzy
Middle Eastern restaurant
Comptoir Libanais in Exhibition
Road – before strolling up to Hyde
Park.
The added beauty is The
Ampersand is
slap bang in
cool, bustling
London but
inside is a
haven of
tranquillity and
elegance.
Breakfast the
next morning
was in Apero,
the converted
lower ground
floor vaults,
which also
serves cocktails
and
Mediterranean
food later in the day.
They had run out of orange juice
– not cool – but had others to
satisfy. They had a comprehensive
continental breakfast buffet as well
as a good cooked breakfast.
After breakfast we explored the
books in the light and airy library
and games rooms next door. Books
were separated by colour coded
sectioning so you could go straight
to the thrillers, science, history and
so on. We then had a few games of
ping pong but chess, skittles etc
were also dotted around. Both
rooms can be converted to
conference spaces.
Check-out time looming, we
trudged up to our room, packed our
last effects and made to leave and
reluctantly we did, with the pact
we would return – next time for tea
in that glorious drawing room.