London Hotels Insight provides up-to-date, independent advice for your perfect stay in London. We research guest feedback, meet management and identify hotels at the top of their game.
Red Carnation sews up TripAdvisor top 3 spots.
Junior Suite at current number 1 TripAdvisor-rated Hotel 41...part of a collection of hotels that has taken over all of the top 3 spots
Red Carnation Hotels – the company famous for its 12 service standards – continues to exert an iron grip over the leading London hotels according to the current TripAdvisor rankings. It now has all of the top 3 spots.
Number 3 is the group’s intimate Egerton House Hotel, which we visited last year when it too was rated the number 1 London hotel. We’ve been back since to try one of Head Barman Antonio’s famous martinis.
Guests love the hotel’s cosy charm and the fact the staff treat you as if you’re their only customer (made easier by the fact that the hotel has a mere 30 rooms). It’s probably the best townhouse hotel in London.
Book direct with the Egerton House Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
The Drawing Room at the Egerton House is typical of the hotel's comfy ambience...but the main draw is its hospitable staff
Number 2 at the moment is 5 star Kensington hotel the Milestone – London Hotels Insight visited this hotel when it was also TripAdvisor number 1 for a long stretch through late 2009 and early 2010.
We met the hotel’s General Manager to understand how the Milestone Hotel got to number 1. His staff shared examples of how they surprised and delighted guests and we also learned the vivid history of the Milestone.
Guests at the Milestone love the friendly staff and the fact it’s one of London’s best pet-friendly hotels – right opposite Kensington Gardens.
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
A "Superior Double" at the Milestone Hotel in Kensington...each room at the hotel is individually designed and furnished
Both the above former number ones have now been usurped by their stablemate, Hotel 41 (Victoria), which has the feel of a discreet private club.
I visited Hotel 41 recently to meet its General Manager, Mr Malcolm Hendry and the MD of Red Carnation Hotels, Mr Jonathan Raggett, the reigning Hotelier of the Year. The hotel’s entrance is so private I almost missed it!
I was keen to learn more about this luxury boutique hotel to see if it merited the guest reviews which had catapulted it to number 1, above its sister luxury London hotels.
We’ll reveal all on this blog in the next few weeks but for now you may find it useful to read the latest Hotel 41 reviews on TripAdvisor.
Book direct with Hotel 41 at the best guaranteed rate
The staff to guest ratio at Hotel 41 is extremely high and the service is as you'd expect in a 5 star hotel - attentive and yet unobtrusive
In the meantime, here’s our own little London Hotels Insight user guide on how you might choose between the top 3 London hotels:
The Egerton House: if you want to go shopping (it’s close to Harrods), visit museums (within walking distance of several) and enjoy a cosy stay in a hotel with a traditional English feel. It also has a gorgeous little bar.
Book direct with the Egerton House Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
The Milestone: if you have a special occasion like a birthday or anniversary to celebrate, or wish to enjoy good food and facilities (it’s the only one of the three with a gym and a pool) – the perfect hotel to be pampered in!
Book direct with the Milestone Hotel at the best guaranteed rate
Hotel 41: if you want to stay in a hotel that feels like a private club. Its 30 rooms are decorated in a fun, retro black and white style, with humorous prints on the walls to lighten the mood. And although the hotel has no restaurant, you are free to “raid the pantry” at any time.
Book direct with Hotel 41 at the best guaranteed rate
Consistent staff training and service standards are key to Red Carnation Hotels' domination of TripAdvisor's London hotels rankings (currently 5 of the top 10)
Lest you forget, there are 3 other Red Carnation hotels in London – the Chesterfield Mayfair, the Rubens Hotel and the Montague on the Gardens. All have featured prominently on London Hotels Insight and are in the top 22 TripAdvisor London hotels. Each follows similar service standards.
Thankfully, all Red Carnation Hotels in London are free WiFi hotels.
How is the company able to keep several of the best London hotels near the top of their game? It’s probably the fact they never rest on their laurels. One example of this is the company’s focus group dinners, where recent guests are invited to identify ways for the hotels to improve further.
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Photo credits: Egerton House Hotel, Milestone Hotel, Hotel 41 (Red Carnation Hotel Collection).
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