Cranley Hotel, London, United Kingdom
Cranley Hotel 4 Stars
The conservative Victorian townhouse hotel is quintessentially English, on the residential backstreets in South Kensington.
Hotel Overview
Review of Cranley Hotel, by Nadia Latif
The Cranley is tucked away in a quiet residential corner of Knightsbridge, about a 5-10 minute walk from Gloucester Road tube station. The location may be slightly removed from the hustle and bustle of the main shopping districts, but it more than makes up for this with its welcoming, home-from-home atmosphere.
There are limited facilities here - the focus is more on the bedrooms. The decor throughout takes inspiration from the original floor tiles that line the entrance hall; gold and rich blue to complement the polished walnut furniture and gilt mirrors.
At the front of the property, a few tables have been set up, shaded by large umbrellas; the street is more that quiet enough to allow guests to sit outside in warmer weather. For times when the sun isn't quite so kind, the main reception area contains a mismatch of overstuffed armchairs and sofas, with plenty of magazines and newspapers scattered about.
The Cranley has 39 rooms, including two suites. All benefit from lovely high ceilings and many have floor-to-ceiling windows. The Four Poster Rooms are a particular favourite. They are spacious, with huge king-sized beds, handmade with silk canopies. The dark wood antique furniture common to all of the rooms is grander in these, with flat-screen televisions hidden away in them.
Every room is designed to feel comfortable and informal. The flat-screen televisions are accompanied by DVD players on request. There's a fully-stocked mini-bar, and plenty of wardrobe space. The limestone bathrooms have Zen Zone toiletries and all, except the Single Rooms, have deep baths.
Facilities
Rooms
39Come for...
- Interesting, residential, tucked-away location
- Complimentary champagne and canapes each evening
Not Suitable for...
- Public space - very limited
- It's a fair walk to the nearest tube station
Children
The Cranley provides cots free of charge, and can arrange a babysitting service on request. Interconnecting rooms are available for families, and are always a combination of Superior and Four Poster rooms.
Eating in
While the hotel does not have a restaurant, there is room service available and an honesty bar in the cosy sitting room. The Cranley also puts on a proper afternoon tea and drinks and canapes in the evening, all of which are free to guests
The Press Say
"Old-fashioned British propriety is the overall feeling here at this small, Victorian town-house hotel." Fodor's 08
Reviews
Review of The Cranley, by Angela Moore
The Cranley is in a pleasantly grand residential area of Kensington, dotted with interesting restaurants and shops. It is, though, a fair walk from both South Kensington and Gloucester Road tube stations.
The hotel is made up of three converted townhouses; there are four floors and the lift extends to the third floor. Downstairs, there's a small but welcoming lounge-lobby, with sofas arranged around a fireplace and under a glittering chandelier. Walls are painted a frisky Heritage blue and carpets are thick and new. In the hallways, there's the original Victorian tile work, still in excellent shape.
The Cranley is actually in excellent shape throughout, with fresh carpeting and spruce hallways. It gives off the quiet air of a small luxury hotel. That said, there's no restaurant (breakfast in bed, and no cooked breakfasts at all) and, other than the lounge, no public space.
Rooms are furnished with good-quality beds and pleasantly clunky though nondescript antique oak furniture. In the Four Poster Rooms, flatscreen TVs are hidden in big wardrobes; DVD players are available on request, though there's no DVD library. Internet is accessible in rooms for a fee of £10 daily; wifi in the lobby is free. There is good wardrobe space and every room has a robe and hairdryer. Rooms have both air conditioning and radiators, which you can control. Linens are in excellent order.
Limestone bathrooms are compact but not tiny, and most have deep tubs with overhead showers. There are smart wrought iron wash basins and toiletries are Zen Zone - the owner was formerly a shareholder in the company. The Cranley boasts four-poster rooms on the lower floors, which have extremely high ceilings to accommodate the tall, handsome four-poster beds. These rooms all face the street but there's not much traffic to keep you awake and the double-glazing is very good.