Housed across a terrace of restored Victorian townhouses is a stylish pied-à-terre for the 21st-century traveller.
The Other House, South Kensington takes the gracious proportions of old London and refits them with moody, clubby interiors of velvet banquettes, encaustic tiles and theatrical wallpaper. The result is a part club, part apart-hotel where guests can both retreat and perform.
The Location
The Other House sits a very civilised stroll from the V&A, Natural History Museum and the leafy edges of Hyde Park. It’s the sort of address that promises museum mornings and MICHELIN dinners without the logistical drama. Galleries, boutiques and cafés are within a few blocks, making the hotel an excellent base for culture-first itineraries. The cluster of embassies and townhouses here also gives the area an almost residential calm that stands in pleasant contrast to busier West End thoroughfares.
Getting There
If you arrive by tube, Gloucester Road is the nearest station just minutes from the hotel’s entrance. Drivers have to contend with South Kensington’s one-way streets and restrictions but there are valet options and nearby drop-off points. From Heathrow you can be in South Kensington in under an hour by car (a little longer at peak), but the 15-minute Heathrow Express to Paddington followed by a short taxi is the fastest option.
The Guests
The Other House cultivates a mixed, cosmopolitan crowd, Londoners who pop in for the bar, and longer-stay residents who treat the property as a home base. There’s a convivial clubby energy after 6pm, but it’s never overwrought. Families and pet owners are welcomed, and the space’s adaptable format means that guests range from short stay to long lets.
The Rooms
The rooms, or “club flats” as they are called, lean into the apart-hotel brief: compact but cleverly configured, with a living area, small kitchenette and a separate sleeping area. The design is intentionally moody with deep upholstery, warm woods and subdued lighting. The effect is a cocooned feeling that some may find intimate and others a touch dim. Practical touches (plentiful storage, strong Wi-Fi, comfortable beds and good black-out shades) make up for any theatrical gloom, while the larger courtyard suites offer vaulted ceilings and more daylight. Sustainability is quietly woven into the fit-out, a nice modern footnote to the Victorian shell.
The Dining
The Other Kitchen is the hotel’s bright, all-day café offering seasonal breakfasts, relaxed lunches and a carefully curated selection of pantry goods When evening falls, the Owl & the Monkey bar takes over with drinks and small plates. The culinary approach is very much in step with the hotel’s ethos of local sourcing, low waste and convivial sharing rather than formal tasting menus. For the area’s finer dining you’re a short wander from South Kensington and Knightsbridge options.
@theotherkitchencafe
@owlandmonkeybar
Spa & Wellness
In the basement lies an unexpected leisure jewel, The Other Space. Accessible to both guests and members, it houses a compact but well-equipped wellness zone comprised of an eight-metre indoor pool, a sauna and steam room, a treatment room and a small gym and yoga studio. Treatments focus on restorative massages and modern wellness rituals (sound therapy has featured as a signature offering), making it a quiet place to decompress after a day of museums or meetings.
A Reason To Go
The Other House is where the idea of “staying like a local” is actually achievable. It doesn’t sell flash vistas or grand lobbies. But, if you seek considered design, domestic comforts and a base that feels more lived-in than staged, it could be a great choice. It allows you to be properly rooted in South Kensington while offering the indulgences of a modern club and a relaxed atmosphere in a supremely convenient location.
The Other House,
15-17 Harrington Gardens, South Kensington, London SW7 4JJ, United Kingdom
Prices start from SAR1100 per night
Book your stay here
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