The Gore Hotel

QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH and opulently Victorian, The Gore Hotel sits plum in the midst of Kensington’s museum quarter, just a whisker from Hyde Park. This plush boutique hotel scores on both style and seclusion.

A favourite with fashion shoots, the Gore must be one of the most photographed romantic hotels in London. Fashionistas are not the only fans, either – it’s also a fave with thespians and music types.

Behind the huge Union Jack fluttering above the entrance, this luxury boutique hotel oozes plush. Carpeted in vampish scarlet, a grand Victorian staircase is hung with huge oil paintings, tapestries and The Gore's signature ornate mirrors.

Bedrooms revel in quirky and theatrical flourishes, with vibrant colours, plump cushions, period pictures and eclectic, hand-picked pieces. Many boast hand-carved four-posters or ornate feature beds.

Our room – an inviting boudoir painted in deep slate grey with velvet covered tub chairs and a four-poster swathed in gold-braided burgundy taffeta – ticked all the right boxes.

Late-night buzz
With its colonial style wooden blinds, fat candles and mood lighting, The Gore’s iconic Bar 190 is a winner. It’s a favourite haunt of A-listers (we spotted a couple of well known TV presenters), and our Never Say Never cocktails (Russian vodka spiced with apple juice and elderflower) rustled up by barman Juliano went down a treat. There’s plenty of late-night buzz here – 190 once famously hosted an after-show party for the Rolling Stones.

For an extra special time you can book Cinderella’s Carriage – a sultry, silken snug complete with daybeds – tailor made for private soirees. If a simple cuppa is more your style, the hotel also has a plush lounge with stuffed velvet Chesterfields, book lined walls and an original fireplace.

Early mornings are unheard of at The Gore – breakfast is served until 11.30 every day of the week, so you can lounge in bed shamefully late and still be in time for a full English.

A top location is undeniably one of The Gore’s trump cards. A museum culturefest awaits minutes away on one side, while the green acres of Hyde Park spread out on the other, with its joggers, picnickers, rowing boats and ducks.

© Room for Romance