One of the few Hg2 recommended hotels in Kensington and on the park, the Baglioni is a splendid Italian dolce vita affair. With a sensual edge of an illicit romance, the dark, sumptuous opulence seems too much to share with an already loved one. If you need to find that special someone you can always try the hotel's private nightclub.
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7368 5700
Price: from GBP 210
Receive a free Hg2 guide when you book a room online
Like Fellini’s celluloid heroines who smoulder in the wall-mounted moody stills, the Italian-owned Baglioni hotel is dark, sexy and alluring. Sixty-six five-star rooms (50 of which are suites) are housed in an imposing five-storey Victorian building that belies the glitzy opulence within; the reception area, with its polished dark-wood floors, gold-leaf walls and Murano glass chandeliers, sets a sultry tone for the rest of the hotel. The bedrooms are distinctly masculine with sleek, modern furniture and a palette of black and gold with flashes of scarlet. Super-soft Frette bed linen and mood lighting add a feminine edge. In-room gadgetry is suitably slick – including Bang & Olufsen phones, Gaggia espresso machines and Philips LCD TVs (through which you can access 150 free movies and 1,500 music tracks) Downstairs, the mini-spa, gym, bar and restaurant are all added attractions, though can involve expensive add-ons. That said, the typical guest is unlikely to be phased – Kensington is the area of choice for visiting sheikhs, diplomats and minor European royals. Perhaps the bulletproof windows in the Presidential Suite were a prudent extravagance.
