The Milestone Residences

This was our 3rd stay at the Milestone hotel and, as it was a double celebration of our 15 year anniversary and my partner’s Birthday, we stayed for 3 nights. The fact we have been twice before already speaks volumes. We are always touched by the finer points of this hotel. Belonging to the Red Carnation Hotels one of the ethos’ of the group is that it emphasises on ‘providing an intuitive, deeply personal kind of service, shaped by care and passion’. This is so evident from the staff and management such a high level of the personal touch that you feel relaxed and ‘at home’ straight away. The hotel was full, with some guests taking resident for 3 months! Yet with such a busy season there was never a drop in service levels and each member of staff took time with us. Wonderful hotel.. Mr. Andrew Pike will no doubt be very proud of his team… See you next year!

To start with the positive, the hotel is in a historic building and has very charming decor. We were given an upgrade which was well appreciated. The food was excellent and it was English cuisine; I think it’s extra difficult to do well since it tends to be bland. The problematic part is that the hotel has mildew and it’s quite unhealthy. The air conditioning was poor and didn’t help with the awful smell. The plumbing had issues and as air went into the piping it started making noise and blurting out water at high pressure. The residence was really charming so it’s a shame it was let down by the mildew and the air quality issue. The mildew does make it quite inhabitable especially if you were to have allergies or any breathing- related health issues. Another letdown was the service. We ordered room service and when we inquired after it 50 (!) minutes later, it had been forgotten so we had to re-order. It has never happened to me before and I certainly wouldn’t have expected it in a five star hotel. It was late in the evening and we were very hungry so it was quite a wait. Another quite disturbing occurrence was when the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night at 4:30 a.m. We were very far from the entrance and the reception, up on the third floor on top of very narrow staircase. We didn’t want to go down unless there was a good reason to do so. The staff didn’t inform us if there is a reason for concern during this time. In other hotels in similar situations the staff took care to contact me and inform of the action needed so that was what I expected and so we waited. To our surprise, only in the morning we found a letter under the door informing us that the alarm was faulty and there was no fire. It was obvious at this point anyway since the house around us hadn’t burnt down. The hotel later explained they cannot inform all the guests as it’s too much trouble. I guess in that case maintaining the alarms so that they don’t go off is an option to aim for. If you however have an issue that is very uncomfortable for the guests you should go through any trouble necessary to rectify it and make sure everyone feels safe. Since there were several occasions of shall we say indifference to our wellbeing, I felt the service really wasn’t up to a five star standard. Also, although it is an old building, it is possible to renovate it so that the mildew, air conditioning and piping is addressed. Is it profitable to do so is another question.

I cannot say enough of how amazing this hotel is. The staff is exceptional, warming and make you feel at home. They remember your room number so you can just add drinks, food, etc. to your room with ease. Kostas and Tim were just the best! The rooms are phenomenal. The housekeepers were each amazing. Twice a day they clean and make sure you have enough towels and beds are always made. They even leave you a little treat each evening. This is a MUST book in London. Wonderful neighborhood with great coffee spots and the park across the street! This was our second stay and will be back next year!! Get room service too!!! Delicious!

We have stayed at The Milestone Hotel & Residences three times over the past 15 years and will always return to the hotel when in London. We consider it our home away from home in London and our kids have grown up over the years at the hotel. The rooms, suites and Residences are all individually decorated in lush fabrics and beautiful furniture with very comfortable beds and sumptuous sheets and pillows. The rooms are on the smaller side, especially the ones facing the park, but this is pretty typical of London. The rooms facing the inner courtyard are very comfortable and quiet. All rooms are air conditioned so if you are there in the summer during a heat wave like we were, you will be thankful. We have stayed in several of the room categories and prefer the Junior Suites as they offer more room, a dressing area and larger bathrooms. The location across from Kensington Gardens is excellent. It is a quick walk to Kensington High Street and there are a lot of great restaurants within a five minute walk of the hotel, It is also conveniently located a short walk to the Kensington Hight Street and Gloucester Road underground stations. The service at the Milestone is second to none. Every detail is taken care of from twice daily housekeeping to the excellent services of the concierge, front desk and doormen. Don't forget to visit The Stables Bar- it is tucked away off the main lobby and has several cozy spaces to gather for a cocktail before dinner. The cocktails and service are excellent and the spaces so intimate it feels as if you are having a cocktail in a friend's home. We can't wait to return next summer!

Our family of four (two adults and kids 8 and 11) had an absolutely amazing four day stay at the Milestone in June of this year. I did extensive research before booking and considered some better known brands and larger hotels, but ultimately chose the Milestone after reading so many glowing reviews and am so glad that I did. If you’re considering it, you should too! Located in the vibrant, upscale Kensington neighborhood and across from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park (a great place for kids and adults to run and play), the Milestone was a perfect reprieve from the hustle of London and crowds of tourists. The hotel was warm, welcoming and cozy, but also sophisticated and incredibly high end with delightful bedding, black out blinds and perfect AC. The food is delicious and breakfast is not to be missed. As others have said, what truly makes the Milestone stand out is the staff who make you feel at home. We especially wanted to call out a few that made our stay extra special: Tim, Stephen, Gorge and Kontas. We’re already planning a return visit and can’t wait to be back!

We decided on the Milestone for staying on the west side of London and another very sleek modern high rise 5 star hotel on the east side of London in the same week. We fell in love with The Milestone and Steve and Sam and everyone there. They treated us like royalty. We got to our second hotel and were absolutely underwhelmed. We missed the warmth of the Milestone and wanted to go back but we had already checked in. We then went to Norway for a week and could not stop thinking about The Milestone and when we could visit again. We were planning to stay our final night in London near the airport but asked our travel agent to cancel the airport and book us into The Milestone. The Milestone is now our go-to hotel for London whether visiting the city or stopping over on our way to another city.