London, United KingdomSouth Kensington
The Ampersand Hotel
Museum-inspired Victorian parlour
South Kensington London, United Kingdom
Renovated
2012
Price
$$$
Rated for
Design Heritage LocalOutside the door
Museum-inspired Victorian parlour
Victorian architecture meets playful eccentricity, where museum-inspired motifs and scarlet armchairs animate the bright ground-floor drawing rooms.
What it’s good at
Notable
Dexter Moren interiors featuring bespoke wallpapers and Ingo Maurer lighting riffing on South Kensington museum disciplines.
Notable
An 1888 Victorian townhouse with original cornices, bay windows, and restored brick vaults housing the cellar bar.
Notable
Playful Science and Jurassic afternoon teas served with dry ice alongside motifs celebrating neighboring Exhibition Road museums.
What they say
Michelin Selected
Michelin
Housed in an 1888 townhouse, the hotel takes the Victorian taste for eclecticism — curiosities and objets d’art abound — and gives it a thoroughly modern look.
Right in the middle
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Located steps from South Kensington station, the hotel sits a five-minute stroll from the Victoria and Albert, Science, and Natural History museums.
The rooms
Rooms celebrate academic disciplines from botany to astronomy, featuring oversized velvet headboards, bespoke wallpapers, and heated bathroom floors.
The gym
- Gym
- 24-hour fitness studio equipped with cardiovascular machinery including treadmill, exercise bike, cross trainer, and free weights.
Dogs stay too.
Apero Restaurant & Bar
Original Victorian brick arches span the cellar dining room, where Mediterranean small plates accompany cocktails at the marble bar.
At the table
Oak cabinets line the private dining room, where tastings and group dinners gather beneath glass globe chandeliers.
How it began
Dating to 1888 as The Norfolk Hotel, this Victorian townhouse was reimagined in 2012 to celebrate South Kensington's surrounding cultural institutions.
Good to know
Stay here
The Ampersand Hotel
Choose your dates to see every room and rate, and book in a few steps.
Add dates to see the price for your stay.
Or book with
Booking.com ExpediaWe may earn a commission when you book through Booking.com or Expedia. It never decides which hotels we include or how we rate them.
London
More like this
Batty Langley’s
“Eccentric Georgian hideaway”
The Laslett
“Bohemian townhouse retreat”
Andaz London Liverpool Street Hotel
“Victorian railway statement”
The Rookery
“Eccentric Georgian bolthole”
The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel
“Chelsea townhouse sanctuary”
Beaverbrook Town House
“Theatrical Georgian residence”
The Franklin
“Venetian townhouse bolthole”
The Academy
“Bloomsbury townhouse refuge”
The app
Like this one? There are so many more.
Swipe any city’s hotels and heart the ones you love. The app gets your taste.
Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.