Number Sixteen, Firmdale Hotels

it's been a while, since I work less in London now, but remains my favourite place in London to stay. Close to where we used to live in Chelsea, a feeling that I have come home. Annual weekend trip with my daughter. Heaven as ever. Glorious rooms, faboulous bed and bedding and amazingly quiet given its proximity to South Ken tube, sleep guaranteed. Breakfast superb. All British breakfast tables have the same menu - what marks out the excellent is the quality of the ingredients and the skill and care of the chef. But . . . . saving the best till last . . . the staff. They are amazing. It is hard to be offered a true 'welcome back' unless the staff were here last time you visited. Here they are, they are clearly Firmdale No. 16 people, they are outstandingly professional and helpful. I love it.

Having stayed at Firmdale Hotels before, I absolutely love the feeling that you are not staying in a big corporate hotel, but instead a lovely warm and inviting home from home. The hotel is in a great location just minutes from South Kensington High Street and the rooms are very comfortable. There were a few niggles which irked us a bit and don't understand why hotels don't get this right which sadly makes me question if we would come back again given other options in London. For the prices charged you need to be on your A game at all times. (1) no tea or coffee facilities in the room. Nearly £7 just to ask for a pot of tea sent to the room and even more miffed when the hotel tried to charge a service charge on top. why not just have a kettle in the room? (2) A small 24hr menu which is fine in a hotel of this size but a lot of 'not sure we have any food / staff have left for the night' comments when we tried to order something at 11pm. You either have a menu and a service or you don't. (3) Security Box not working.and whilst the room was lovely, it is starting to look a little dated vs latest designs - great 15 years ago but again so many hotels are now catching up. This is not meant to be a negative review as I am sure people visiting will all love what is a great hotel but a reminder to firmdale that you can't take things for granted and small things like this matter.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway in the middle of London, this place can't be beat. It is wonderful in every possible way, from the large rooms to the wonderful breakfasts to the garden to the friendly and very helpful staff. The owner, Kit Kemp, who is a famous interior designer, has spared no expense in making the hotel inviting. She calls it a "boutique hotel," but you could also see it as a somewhat large B & B. It consists of three row houses combined and refurbished, but it has lost none of its charm. The location is also great. It is 5 minutes' walk from the South Kensington tube stop. If you are coming in from Heathrow, take the Piccadilly line directly there. If you are coming in by train from St. Pancras, also take the Piccadilly line directly there. The V & A Museum and the Natural History Museum are about 10 minutes' walk away. There are numerous restaurants around the corner. Breakfast is great. There is an extensive buffet with granola, muesli, fruit, yogurt, and pastries. There is also a full English breakfast available, including eggs, sausages, baked beans, and the rest. If you want an English high tea, they do it, but you have to reserve it in advance. The garden in the back is beautiful and well landscaped. There are koi swimming back and forth in a rectangular "pond." There are tables and chairs for guests to use. I've traveled to over 50 countries and this is certainly in my top three or four hotels worldwide. The only minus is that it is not cheap, but given what you get in return, it is well worth the price. It is an intimate luxury hotel and a real gem.

Second visit and loved it. Great to stay in a small leafy environment in centre of a city. Great staff and lovely quiet rooms. Can sit in garden at breakfast and honesty bar for evenings. Lots of restaurants close by. Very near to South Kensington subway. Rooms not large but so much nicer than big commercial corporate hotels. Looking forward to next stay already.

Adorable hotel, great location, wonderful staff. I stayed in a single room and it was small and absolutely perfect. Enjoyed breakfast and tea in the restaurant and both were delicious. Great location near the South Kensington Underground stop. Front desk staff were all very helpful. Would definitely go back!

When we retired from London 7 years ago Number Sixteen absolutely became our VERY HAPPY Home-from-Home. Then our daughter bought a London house ... but, with another baby just arrived, we’re London-homeless again. But No, not really:- Back at Number Sixteen we’re better-than-faultlessly “back-home again”. Those 7 years later, and despite all that those 7 years has meant, ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING about Number Sixteen remains perfect, even better than 7 years ago if that’s possible. 1) Of course the whole place and “feel” is great, faultlessly and fun-illy designed and charmingly homey, much more like a friendly club than a hotel. So 11-out-of-10 for that: the food, my grand-daughter’s surprise and unasked-for little Birthday-cake, the garden, the coy-carp, the honesty-bar and all-else. But really it’s ... 2) The staff. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE OF WHOM deserves at least 12-out-of-10, so let’s say an overall average 13 for all the staff but, in case that’s unlucky, let’s say 15-out-of-10. (What this really means, surely, is a REAL thumbs-up to the Kemps. Years ago I asked a staff-member in Quaglino’s how Conran got his staff there to be so nice? Was it immaculate staff-training or what was the secret? “No”, was the very surprising reply, “We’re all TERRIFIED of him”. If that’s how it’s done the Kemp’s must be terrifying QUITE BEYOND BELIEF! But I very-much-indeed suspect that’s perhaps not how they achieve such magic.) So Thank You yet-again Number Sixteen. Yours is a QUITE REMARKABLE achievement.