The Ampersand Hotel

We went to the Ampersand Hotel for their amazing science-themed Afternoon Tea. First I have to say that the service here was exceptional. Our servers were so attentive and welcoming and I was incredibly impressed. I’d say best service I had anywhere during my 3 weeks in the UK. The Afternoon Tea itself was so much fun. The savory sandwiches I think were the highlight. We were offered refills on multiple occasions, which we didn’t realize was included when booking (a nice perk). As a science teacher, I really loved the sciencey take on the meal. It was entertaining for adults as well as for the kids are the neighbouring tables. The dining room was beautiful. I would highly recommend the Ampersand.

From the moment I booked my reservation to the moment a gentleman insisted on hefting my heavy bags into my taxi, I felt at home and taken care of at the Ampersand. My trip started with a surprise upgrade thanks to Aurel in a deluxe room with a beautiful balcony and chocolates waiting for me upon my return that first evening. The breakfast team ensured I had a perfectly made iced latte and delicious, beautifully made food every morning. The evening team made up gorgeous craft cocktails, both from the menu and off menu depending on what I was feeling each night. The people who work in this hotel are not only hardworking, they are incredibly kind and full of life. It was a true joy to spend time with them during my solo trip to London. The individuals who clean the rooms and provide the turndown service did an especially impeccable job. The smallest of details were not missed — from refilling the shampoo to leaving extra lotion to ensuring I had boxes of water for my long days out in the city. I absolutely loved this hotel and the team who breathed life into it — I cannot wait to be back.

My family and I very much enjoyed staying at the Ampersand. Our rooms were lovely and comfortable. We booked several rooms, and when it was determined the room my mother had was not suitable for her physical needs, they immediately placed her into a more comfortable situation. I was greeted with a lovely welcome in my room for my birthday. The breakfast downstairs was terrific. Great area, I'll be staying again when I return to London.

Perfect stay as a young family. Staff are extremely attentive and friendly. Lots of extras included: free cot bed with mattress and baby toiletries - even a little dressing gown!; two glasses of champagne delivered to our room; free macrons inside the room; free soft drinks in the mini bar and snacks including popcorn and biscuits. We ordered room service for our son's dinner and he really enjoyed the tomato pasta. Shower is great. Will definitely return.

I had a wonderful stay at The Ampersand Hotel. It's a small but luxurious hotel with exceptional accommodations and friendly, attentive staff. The location is fantastic—just a two-minute walk to the tube and a 10-minute walk to the Albert and Victoria Museum and the Museum of Natural History. This made it so easy to explore London. The hotel itself offers a high level of comfort, and I really appreciated the attention to detail in both the service and the amenities. The lobby is beautifully designed and perfect for memorable photos, while the small gym provided a great spot for two solid workout days. The South Kensington area is full of charm and very convenient for getting around the city. I highly recommend this hotel if you're looking for a luxurious yet accessible place to stay in London.

Nice clean hotel with modern furnishings. Slightly odd layout with bar and restaurant in the basement, and a games room with ping-pong table. Nobody in the bar but it was a Monday! Rooms on gf were nice, one had shower and one had bath with shower over, music themed rooms. Mini-fridge had a good selection of drinks included and also coffee, tea and snacks included in the room rate. Air con was great as there was a heatwave. Staff were so helpful and attentive. So convenient for Wimbledon and also for Knightsbridge which is a short walk away.

We had the Science afternoon tea - it was absolutely amazing. Our daughter is peanut and sesame ana and she could eat every single thing on the kids afternoon tea menu. We have never experienced this before - no subs, nothing she couldn't eat. Her face was an absolute picture. Well done to the Ampersand. You nailed it!

The Ampersand Hotel is in a fantastic spot in South Kensington, and the building itself has a lovely charm to it. The bed was comfortable, which I appreciated, but even in one of their larger rooms, the space was incredibly tight. It felt more like a cleverly styled cupboard than a room at this price point. The service was inconsistent. A few staff were genuinely professional and couldn’t have been more polite. Unfortunately, others were dismissive and at times, unnecessarily rude. That contrast made the stay feel awkward and uncomfortable. For what they charge, the overall experience just doesn’t stack up. It’s overpriced, and while the setting is beautiful, the substance is lacking. I wouldn’t return.

We had the most amazing afternoon tea at the Apero restaurant in the Ampersand Hotel on May 16th 2025. It was Jurassic themed and they went to great lengths to honor that theme even when my daughter and I were gluten free. Chocolate molten lava mountains, chocolate dinosaurs, delicious sandwiches and scones, wonderful unique tea accompaniments, we could go on and on about how awesome it was! We are big afternoon tea fans and have had them in countries all over the world. This was one of the best! Mohammed was fantastic and made sure that we were well served and happy patrons. Kudos for a job very well done to Mohammed and their creative chef! Blessings from Vance, Alannah and Angela

I came here because I (1) wanted to have afternoon tea during my visit to London and (2) my love of dinosaurs + my friend telling me about this tea experience. I just had the tea with no extra drinks etc for approximately £60. First off, yes this is a pricier afternoon tea than others but it is a themed experience and located in Central London so this does make sense. I did also love how this was just a short walk away from the Natural History Museum (which I naturally went to afterward to continue viewing more fossils). I did take a taxi here but walking or public transit to this hotel would be easy. Parking does seem like it would be challenging if you're planning on driving over. I did make a reservation as I was coming to London on vacation and was concerned I couldn't just walk in but they definitely had spaces available to walk in on a weekday afternoon when I went. The sandwiches were all well made and filling I did not have a favorite amongst them, I equally finished them all. The SCONES were incredible omg I dreamed about them for the rest of my trip. They had this sealed lemon spread that was amazing but I love love loved the jelly with clotted cream as well. Okay, now as for the more disappointing part. The top of the tea tower was my least favorite part of the meal. Aesthetically, it's incredible and makes for a lovely video. It was challenging to even figure out how to eat and even figure out what was edible?? I was honestly full from the sandwiches and scones and tea so just having a few nibbles of the dessert was fine to me but please be advised. The waiters were very helpful in answering all my questions and being right there when I had a request. Overall, the experience was lovely.

After having lunch at the nearby Hoop & Toy (please reference my review if interested), my wife and I proceeded to the hotel to check into our room. We were greeted and assisted by an employee who observed us bringing multiple baggages up the entryway stairs. He wished us a Happy Anniversary, informed us that we were being upgraded to a suite on the fifth floor (room 503 yay yay!), shared the many amenities of the hotel, and handed us our keycards. Prior to our arrival in Kensington, we had been staying in smaller boutique hotels during our visits in Amsterdam and Paris. Therefore, the abundance of space in our suite almost made us feel like we were at home. Entering the room, we were greeted by a couch (with a TV mounted nearby) positioned in front of a sliding glass door that lead to a patio with two chairs and a table (not to mention a decent of the city). The kitchen area was complete with a microwave, utensils, plates, bowls, tea cups, coffee mugs, drinking glasses, and champagne flutes. On the counter was an expresso machine, expresso pods, a nifty device for boiling water, and a tasty assortment of chocolates with a message saying "Happy Anniversary!" Below the counter was not one, but two refrigerators (perfect for folks like us who like to purchase small grocery items - including champagne). The bedroom was a decent size with a mounted television (with the ability to access streaming services via Chromecast), snazzy Bluetooth speaker (I made good use of it!), a desk, and bed. I believe in saving the best for last...in my opinion...that would be the bathroom. The bathroom was complete with heated floors (unfortunately we did not get a chance to use them), a HUGE two person (depending on the size of said persons) sitting tub, and an open shower area with a shower head slightly extended from the ceiling (not ideal for folks that do not want to get their hair wet). Also, I forgot to mention that both the shower and hot tub have extensions. Since we were only at the hotel for three days and two nights, we did not have the time to utilize their many amenities. However, we were able to visit Apero, the bar located in the basement. We both ordered drinks from the cocktails menu, which we would later regret. Although flavorful, both drinks were loaded with so much ice that there was obviously little room for the drink itself. For both breakfast and dinner we enjoyed the convenience of room service. For breakfast we ordered the eggs, bacon, and wheat bread...which met our satisfaction's. For dinner we ordered the Chicken Ceasar salad with a side of fries with truffle mayonnaise...delicious! Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Ampersand Hotel. If you're looking for a hotel in which you can truly relax and enjoy the comfort and serenity of your room, I highly recommend staying here!

If you're going to have a full high tea - sandwiches, desserts, tea - and you're gluten free? DEFINITELY do it here. The offerings were themed when I went in the summer of 2023, based on the museums near by, and we had "Science experiment" themed treats. The science themed things were a little silly, but I think a younger kid would definitely love. They can make EVERYTHING gluten free, and you really, really can't tell. Gorgeous hotel, conveniently located if you're staying around the central London museums, and wonderful service. OH and did I mention - everything has free refills? This is an ALL YOU CAN EAT afternoon tea? WORTH the money, come HUNGRY. The scones are divine! Definitely recommend!

Absolutely loved this hotel! The rooms are on the smaller side but super comfortable! The location is also great with lots of places to eat and just relax outside! Can't thank the staff enough with how lovely they are! Jerry is the sweetest doorman/concierge! The best!!

The Ampersand Hotel was hands down my favorite stay of the year and I travel quite a bit. Let's start with the location. It is quite literally the perfect location. The bus stops right in front of it, the tube (the train/metro) is one block away (with two lines), the hop on hop off bus is three blocks away, Nando's (IYKYK) is three blocks away, a grocery store is across the street, restaurants all around, I could go on and on. The staff certainly goes above and beyond!! Every single staff member we interacted with was exceptional. I am allergic to feathers/down and housekeeping made sure to accommodate my needs. The room itself is gorgeous and spacious and they provide adapters for your convenience (in case you happened to forget yours which does happen!) I loved the heated floors in the bathroom along with the complimentary fully stocked fridge. The slippers and bathrobe were a nice touch as well. I mean truly, I have absolutely no complaints and I will be returning when I'm in London again next year!

A few friends has mentioned the science tea here was super fun for kids and so we booked it a few months in advance. We actually arrived an hour early for our 1pm reservation and they sat us without a problem. My hungry kids were thrilled. We ordered 2 kids science teas and 3 adult science teas since our 12 year old thinks she's an adult. There was a little bit of science, some lovely tea (and I'm not really a tea drinker) and lots of tasty sweets. Tea may be one of my favorite meals ever and this wasn't the best tea food I've experienced, but it was a fun and entertaining way to introduce the kids to tea. I almost booked another traditional tea for later in the week, but didn't think they would appreciate it for the price. This tea itself is a little pricey, but not bad in comparison to the tea at the ritz or other upscale destinations. Recommended for families visiting London! Our 7, 10 and 12 year olds were impressed!

Brilliant and unusual "high tea", great service and a wonderful photo opportunity! My guests and I had the Science Museum tea, an interactive, fun, and experience that excited the senses. Gluten free available

Great place for a kids & family oriented London tea time (The Drawing Rooms at the Ampersand Hotel) that's more on the fun side and less on the stuffy side. Also helps that this place is walkable 10minutes from British Museum, and we came here afterwards for an early evening reservation. Friendly service, and some fun looking desserts to eat. Didn't realize this at first (lack of cultural knowledge), but you can ask for additional helpings of items since they're small to being with. The tea itself was just ok (Darjeeling was really exceptional; genmaicha decent; while the green tea was underwhelming though it could be tailored more for British tastes and not for Asian tastes), but I didn't mind as this was a really nice place for a memorable family experience.

We went to the science afternoon tea and my 7 year old LOVED it. It comes with one experiment (won't ruin the surprise) and lord of cute little snacks that are planet shaped and the little food holder is shaped like a space ship. It was super close to both the science and history museums so you can do the one you like (or both) then head over. There's also a Jurassic shaped one in another area but my son is a space guy.

Love this hotel. Great location with good restaurants walking distance, tube station nearby, bus stations. The hotel restaurant is pretty good (with 24/7 room service), complimentary water (all the still water you can drink), sodas, tea and coffee. The staff is amazing, the rooms comfortable. I haven't find anything bad to say about this hotel. Cute science afternoon tea.

This is only for the science tea service as we did not stay here (though it looks really nice ) we enjoyed this tea so much ! Got the kids to engage and enjoy a true tea service with a little science involved too! They need to close the windows and keep on the AC - it was very hot and humid. But otherwise great service and good tea /foods with a nice gluten free option.

Looooved the recent stay at the Ampersand. Location was perfect for walking or tubing over to the surrounding neighborhoods. But what wok me over was how comfortable the stay was. Traveling can be stressful, and acclamatting to a new environment is another challenge. But I slept so peacefully at this hotel. The bed and bedding was comfortable, the thermostat worked great, the L'Octane bath products were good, the restroom had heated floors, hot water, wifi always worked... And the blow dryer was 5-stars on its own. I wanted to take of home. I have a full head of lettuce, and that dryer blew it out in no time AND left a beautiful shine to my hair. No issues with elevator, staff, noise -- 5-star stay. I do wish we could have experienced the tea room. Yelp photos and reviews made me jelly...

This hotel is very clean, cute, room is surprisingly spacious, and conveniently located in South Kensington by the Piccadilly metro and many other bus stops. There are quite a few restaurants and grocery stores close by to eat and buy snacks. It's fairly quiet here - seems less touristy which I like. The staff is also very helpful - I was able to borrow 3 outlet converters since I am visiting from the states. Otherwise my phone would be dead, my hair would be a mess! They have free WiFi, umbrellas to borrow, and I also have a tv in my bathtub- interesting :)

If you are visiting London and want an afternoon tea experience do not go anywhere but here. The science tea in The Drawing Room is such a delicious, fun, interactive experience. Decor: bright, cheery, sophisticated and quirky. Seats were very plush and comfortable, though you may need help pulling them closer to your table (they are quite bulky). Afternoon Tea: Exceptional! The whole thing is interactive, with freeze dried fruits, caramel "sprinkles", jams in squeeze tubes, tasty sandwiches, mix-your-own sparkling drinks and various desserts. (See pics) If you like an item they will bring you a second one, not that you'll need it since the portions are generous. My favorite included the key lime white chocolate astronaut. Yes, as wacky as that sounds, it was delicious. Service: really friendly and attentive without hovering at all. Cost: Very reasonable, especially given how much food and tea you get and also how fun and interactive the afternoon tea is. Kids and adults alike will really enjoy their time here. The next time I am in London I am 600% returning.

I am a frequent traveller to London, and I cannot express how much I love and look forward to staying at The Ampersand Hotel every time that I am in the city. The location cannot be beat. The hotel is half a block from the South Kensington Tube Station, and is located in an absolutely beautiful grey historic building that has been transformed into this great hotel. The staff are very welcoming, accommodating, and extremely helpful. From making sure that I have the right room to arranging transportation to the airport, I have not received better service from any other hotel. They staff are friendly, cheerful and always remember me every time that I am London, which is a very nice touch. I've even received little treats every time I have come back. The rooms are really nice and comfortable. I recommend a Deluxe Double or bigger if staying for longer than three days. Room service is great and quick. The flat bread and Snowy Peak drink from the Apero has to be one of my absolute favourites. I have been going to The Ampersand Hotel for years, and will continue to go to this wonderful hotel every time that I am London.

We spent two glorious nights at the Ampersand. Everything was perfect - location, food, the high tea (we skipped the kiddie science project, haha), and the staff were all excellent. Our room was on the smaller side but had everything we needed. The beds were heavenly! The gym was perfect for a one hour workout. Breakfast was truly nice! This is indeed the place to stay for a brief London visit!

Took a toddler there for science tea. I wasn't expecting much from the food since I figured it was mostly for looks, but I was pleasantly surprised by most of it. The savories were mostly good, but I prefer regular finger sandwiches to the big buns which are kind of dry. The fillings were good tho especially the truffle egg mayo. The sweets were very nice, not overly sweet. I even liked the pipette addition to the macaron. Scones were average, but the passion fruit curd was very tasty. Service could have been more attentive, we pretty much never saw them after the food arrived. Overall very nice and good to go with a kid, he enjoyed digging for dinos and mixing the lemonade at the beginning.

This review is for the Science Tea only: Before I get into details, let it be known that I highly recommend the Science Tea...despite the service. The theme is very fun, and the tea is great. It's because of them that I discovered my love for Earl Grey. Far as the tea goes, the savories are pretty good. Smoked salmon, chicken salad, roast beef, and my favorite, the Truffle & Mushroom Tart. Then the science part starts. They bring out a basin and a set of pipettes and beakers for you to prepare your own lemonade. The lemonade is one of my favorite items. It's fresh n' fruity, and end product is delicious and refreshing. It's a lot of work to make an ounce at a time, and unfortunately, it is very difficult to get the attention of the servers so we were only able to get two refills. High tea has given me a new appreciation for scone. The white chocolate and cranberry is sweet without being sugary, and the plain scone is just perfect. Clotted cream and lovely homemade strawberry preserves, yes please! The lemon curd comes in a fun squeeze tube and we squeezed that thing dry. The pastries are the best part. They get very creative! There's a petri dish of fruity gelatin, and they pour some dry ice around the Planet Mousse, to shroud it in mystery. The Half-Moon Cake and chocolate spaceman is just too cute to eat! We had to ask for the Mini Dinosaur Biscuit after they handed us the check - this is what I mean by being understaffed - they simply forgot to give us our last course. Then they only brought one for the two of us, and there was no bone hidden in this crate so we didn't even get to find an edible fossil with that adorable brush. I really enjoyed the Science Tea, but I would have enjoyed it more if the service were better. It's rare that I comment on service, but there were times where we felt entirely ignored. Still, the theme is adorable, and the pastries are brilliant. I would easily come back for the food and the ambiance despite the less-than-desirable service.

We were visiting London and I told my husband I wanted to do a proper afternoon tea. He was not really into the idea, but agreed to do it to amuse me. I found the drawing rooms and figured he would find it a bit more fun and whimsical than just your average tea. We also picked the Drawing rooms because they had a vegetarian menu and seemed to be able to accommodate allergies. We had a reservation, so we were seated immediately. I didn't realize that you are given a choice of menus (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free...) when you were seated, and had requested that in my reservation. Turns out I didn't need to do that, as we were presented with menus that included a vegetarian menu. They were in fact very allergy friendly. My husband was given an additional roast beef sandwich instead of the fish. We also overheard them discussing with a family next to us with a tree nut allergy. I'm more of a coffee person than a tea person. Okay, I actually really don't like tea, but the tea was actually delicious here. I actually drank my full cup and refilled. The food was very good. I'm not the biggest dessert person, so my husband did eat most of the desserts. I also enjoyed when they brought out the food and did the smoke for the planet mousse. The hotel itself, as well as the drawing rooms (and the bathrooms) are gorgeous. I would recommend anyone wanting to have afternoon tea to come here. The only thing I think they might want to consider is, maybe getting some curtains to separate the tea area from the entrance to the hotel. It was quite loud and the noise did carry in a lot. Maybe something to muffle the sounds.

The Ampersand Science Afternoon Tea I REALLY wanted to like this place. But overall we were so disappointed - especially given the price - that I encouraged my friend who was visiting with kids and already had a reservation to go to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory tea at One Aldwych instead. The Ampersand really adhered well to the theme with their science tea, and and had some really cute creative touches, but ultimately the food really fell short. The price is higher than it should be - 37.50 pounds per person (and that's for adults or kids). For kids it was the highest priced of the three high teas we went to in London that week, and that included hoity toity Claridge's! I think The Ampersand should offer a cheaper tea for kids which could be combined by parents for a nice day out to the science museum across the street. First the savories. The salmon blini was really good. My 7-year-old daughter loved it and declared she likes caviar. Grrrrrreat. In the bagel with horseradish and roast beef, the bagel was clearly a store bought mini and too bready. I was not impressed. My son liked it. He likes everything. My quiche arrived and it was mushroom and peas instead of the pumpkin and sage one I thought I was getting. Harrumph. It was served less than lukewarm. I really liked the crayfish part of the crayfish in rose sauce on focaccia. However, the focaccia toast was cold. The white chocolate scone was possibly the best part of the meal, which is saying a lot since I don't particularly like white chocolate. The plain scone was fine. I was unclear if the tube of maple cream at the table to go with the scones was supposed to look science-y. Regardless, it didn't add any flavor. There were also test tubes of sprinkles on the tea tray, but - as any time you use sprinkles - they were just there for show. Cute though. I just really didn't know what to use them on because our foods (scones, macarons, etc.) didn't really have the right surface for sprinkles so it was just like pouring them directly onto our plates. And then there were the desserts... and despite their slavish attention to following the science theme in each dessert, taste-wise they were all misses. We did enjoy the dry ice cloud that billowed down from the top tier. The mint flavor was a little odd on the chocolate mint planet mousse on top of a brownie. Three of the four of us left our lemon dessert behind. It was not good and too sweet with an odd white layer. The sesame macaron? Good. The raspberry jam injection sticking out of it? Not so good. The chocolate spaceman was okay. The beeker of raspberry lychee juice was too sweet but the kids liked it. I loved the creativity behind the the box with a chocolate dinosaur and a shortbread cookie covered in chocolate dust to brush away like you're an archaeologist, though I was hoping it would be a bit more involved to find. (They're immediately visible.) I liked my phoenix honey tea but it was too sweet. The kids were given good fresh squeezed orange juice in lieu of tea. Overall I was really disappointed that more care wasn't taken into the serving temperature of the savories. Hot food wasn't served hot except for the scones. Kathleen's High Tea Rankings 1) Claridge's, London 2) Le Parloir, Montreal 3) The Fairmont Empress, Victoria B.C. 4) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Tea at One Aldwych, London 5) Aubrey Rose, La Mesa 6) Crown and Crumpet, San Francisco 7) Lovejoy's, San Francisco and Redwood City 8) Tea Upon Chatsworth, San Diego (closed) 9) Lovey's, Pacifica 10) Lisa's Tea Treasures, Campbell 11) Tyme for Tea, Fremont 12) Lisa's Tea Treasures, Los Altos 13) Dushanbe Tea Room, Boulder 14) Satori, San Jose 15) Charles Chocolates Tea, San Francisco 16) THE AMPERSAND SCIENCE AFTERNOON TEA, LONDON 17) Tea Time, Palo Alto 18) Lisa's Tea Treasures, San Jose 19) Samovar, San Francisco (Page St.) 20) Shakespeare's Corner Shoppe and Afternoon Tea, San Diego 21) Cafe du The, Burlingame 22) The Huntington Langham Hotel, Pasadena 23) Satori, Saratoga 24) Dartealing Lounge, San Francisco

Had a few hours to kill in Lower Kensington on a recent trip to London and figured a coffee was in order! The Drawing Room came up as a suggested coffee shop with the same address as the Ampersand Hotel. Upon arrival to the hotel, we were greeted by hotel staff who immediately offered to store our luggage we were walking around with and kindly escorted us to the small cafe lounge at the front of the hotel called - The Drawing Room. Elegant Decor, comfy furniture and rich aromas full the room. Many people were casually gathered with friends/family for Afternoon Tea. My wife and I were led to a small table in the back and had a wonderful cappuccino. Would highly recommend this for a quiet detour with wonderful service and atmosphere.

I was recently in Europe for 2 weeks, and after several stays in Airbnbs and hotels throughout 3 countries, I spent my final 2 days and accommodations at The Ampersand Hotel, and had a great, relaxing stay! First off, I was greeted right away, and my check-in went super smoothly and quickly. I was impressed by the high ceilings in my room, and I like how the motif of the hotel is both a mix of traditional and modern styling. My room was very clean and comfortable, the bed was super comfy, and the bathroom was nice as well. The staff was very helpful and friendly throughout my stay. The hotel itself is just about 1 block from the nearest Underground station, and is near plenty of shops and restaurants. It was quiet and I had a great night's rest, which totally had me prepared for my 12 hour flight home the next day. I definitely recommend staying at The Ampersand Hotel if you're in London!

The Ampersand Hotel is located right near the South Kensington station. There are lots of restaurants around the hotel, all within walking distance. I was really impressed with the entire hotel experience. We arrived a couple of hours before check-in and they already had a room available for us. The room itself was a bit small, but since we were just there for the one night it was not a problem. I think if we were staying there for multiple nights it would have seemed a bit small. It was really cool to have heated floors in the bathroom, definitely a luxury. The complementary cell phone was a cool idea, however I didn't get it use it. The entire room was clean, the shower spacious, bed was comfy, and wifi worked fine in the room. If you need a hotel in the area, I can't recommend the Ampersand Hotel enough.

A 5 star 4 star hotel I really enjoyed my stay at the Ampersand. The staff go out of their way to be friendly and helpful but not cloying. I don't think of this as a pretentious 5 star place that nickels and dimes you for every small amenity. There is free wi fi and some free nonalcoholic drinks provided in the guest fridge. There's a paper at the door in the morning. The light fixture in the stairwell is arty and classy. My superior room was small but comfy. There were nice touches like a robe and slippers. There are public rooms available such as a library, bar and game room. I love the South Kensington location. Step out the door and there are buses, cross the street and you are at the Piccadilly and Circle line stops. Close to the Natural History Museum, the V&A, the Science Museum, Harrods and more nice shopping and restaurants than you will have time for. I hope to return.

We seriously enjoyed our High Tea experience here. We were 15 minutes late and they still saved our table, which was awesome. They also had a seating for High tea at 5:30pm. We had one normal and one vegetarian option. The smoked salmon cracker, quiche, and scones were amazing. The mango desert, macaroons and space man chocolate were too cute. The coolest part was the dry ice!! So fun and thematic!! We both liked our teas, the Ampresand and a Rooibos. The reason I'm only giving 3 stars is because the service was horrible. The waiters were nice but it was quite hard to get their attention even though there weren't that many people there. It started off great but went down hill quickly. The tea room itself is quite pretty, lite and quaint.

I have stayed at this hotel on two different business trips to London and would stay there next week if their price would have been cheaper, but unfortunately it isn't so I am staying elsewhere to save the company some money. The rooms here (depending on the rate you pay) are fairly decent. For old buildings like this, the rooms are never all that large so North Americans, don't expect room sizes to be what we're accustomed to. The staff has always been very courteous and helpful. The second time I stayed here, I had an issue where the power would go out after 2 minutes of inserting my card into the reader. I alerted the hotel staff and they had that fixed within the hour. There's a tea room I didn't go to either time, but looks pretty nice. I did eat breakfast here and the breakfast nook is quaint (like a French Kitchen) and the food is not bad. Coffee wasn't good at all though. They can do vegan oatmeal and I got coconut milk for the coffee which helped it significantly as did the lumps of sugar. This hotel is not even a 2 minute walk to the South Kensington tube station and the area around the station has a number of stores and cafes. Very nice area that isn't too loud. Nothing is open late though. I'll miss being there next week, but do hope to return on future trips to London. I found a hotel nearby that was much cheaper (though rated lower) because I like this area so much.

The Ampersand Hotel was our home away from home during our London trip and it could not have been better. Our room was sizeable, with a very large and plush bed, vanity, large closet with small refrigerator (complimentary still and sparkling water) and plenty of space to store bags and other items. The bathroom was also nicely sized and, best of all, had heated floors. Staff members were very kind, welcoming and helpful in every way. We arrived absolutely exhausted from the trip, and it was still hours before check-in time. Fortunately, we were checked into our room early which greatly helped us to relax and enjoy our day. The location of the hotel is just steps from the tube in South Kensington, and there are tons of restaurants, bars and other shops to peruse nearby (grab some of the best coffee ever at Roots & Bulbs). I'd be hard pressed to stay elsewhere on a future London visit.

Lovely stay! The staff is very welcoming. The hotel is beautifully appointed with great interiors. The location is perfect. Right near a tube station and lots of restaurants and cafes. Keep in mind the single rooms are extremely tiny. No real place to put a roller suitcase. I had to use my desk to hold my bag. Hard to walk around the room. Not a real closet and no drawers to store anything. The bed was very comfy though. The bathroom had great fixtures was ok size. Just keep in mind this is definitely a room for one person. All you need if you're just sleeping there. Wifi worked great. And free water, juice and soda is nice touch in mini bar. Overall great stay and can't wait to come back!

Amazing hotel, staff and most of all..... The room. While I'm sure my room is better then some in the hotel I assure you if you make it your goal you can get it for little more then the standard. It's worth the extra 50 pounds a night. Not only will I return, but I'll recommend it to everyone I know.

Fantastic. Definitely must do the science tea if you get a chance. It even comes in vegetarian and gluten-free and they accommodate a variety of allergies, too.

A stylish, chic retreat in South Ken. I stay here every time I visit London and it just gets better every time. Situated just across from South Kensington tube station, it's a perfect location for The Natural History Museum, The V&A, The Royal Albert Hall and The Science Museum - all within walking distance. The rooms are spacious, comfortable and luxurious, the decor inspired by Botany, Music, Geometry, Ornithology and Astronomy with a nod to the local attractions listed above - a great touch. The breakfasts at Apero are fabulous and so is the Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Rooms, a real work of art by pastry chef Ji Sun, you must book this during your stay. All the staff are brilliant with such a warm welcome you feel like you're visiting old friends - I can't rate this hotel highly enough.

Best hotel ever. Cannot wait to return to this little gem in south Kensington. Staff was super helpful and room was lovely. We adored this hotel!

The entire flat went for the special Scientist Afternoon Tea - really nice and unusual, with plenty of options that fit the theme. The savoury options are amazing, with salmon and crabs and salt beef ... best thing is that you can ask for more sandwiches and refills of tea and everyone is really relaxed and nice about it, which you don't find that often in London! Good value for money

This hotel was absolutely perfect - the neighborhood, staff, rooms, restaurant, and overall hotel completely met/exceeded our expectations. It's right across from the south Kensington underground tube stop and right near tons of great pubs and restaurants. The hotel itself is boutiquey but not small and made our stay perfect. The staff was so helpful and gave great advice. Also, the room comes with a smartphone for you to use throughout your stay with customized apps, unlimited data, google maps, etc. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!

Overall great hotel in south Kensington. Great location to the tube line and if you are on business and have a couple of extra hours the museums are right there. The museums are great. The hotel is very quiet and clean. Never a loud or bad night at the ampersand !

What I liked: . Very convenient location opposite the South Kensington underground station. . Original yet elegant design of the public spaces and rooms. . Egyptian cotton bed linens. . Two types of pillows: firm and soft. . Radiant heat and rain shower head in the bathroom. . iMacs and color printer available at all times. . Fast Wi-Fi. . Very friendly and professional staff. . Lunch in the drawing rooms. . Night-time quiet (although there is a noisy school behind the hotel). What I didn't like: . Teeny size of the room. . Very confusing over-designed light controls. . Electronic do-not-disturb sign that can be turned on accidentally, resulting in no cleaning of the room that day. . Creaking floors.

I booked this hotel as a last night in the UK splurge before we headed home to the states and am happy I did. This hotel is RIGHT NEXT TO south Kensington which makes it incredibly easy to get to via tube and it's just beautiful. We stayed in a baseline room and it was large with a true king sized bed. The room itself was beautifully decorated in a black and white motif but it was the details that really delighted me. 1. The bed is very comfy. 2. The pillows are filled with fresh, fluffy down. 3. Heated floors in the bathroom. 4. Little toiletry kits including eye makeup remover. 5. Complimentary soft drinks. 6. Yummy selection of teas in room. 7. A charging dock in the desk with usb plug options. 8. Sweet little gym.

This is an amazing place with great people. The rooms are quiet and comfortable with everything thought out in advance. It also provides a great experience for the eyes as they have made this into a thing of beauty. Honestly the only negative comment I can think of is the lack of electrical outlets, which is a common negative trait of hotels. I will stay here again!

The service at the restaurant was amazing, as was the food and drinks. I think Andrea was the name of the bartender and she was fantastic and cool to chat with. We also had the breakfast buffet which was awesome!!! It didn't have a ton of food choices but I loved what it did have. The only downside was our room was right in front of a playground at a school and for hours upon hours in the morning we heard a hundred screaming kids. Our room was also very tiny and the light switches had no rhyme or reason.

A very nice place to stay. The hotel was clean, the staff was exceptional and it is close to the South Kensington tube. There are many nice restaurants nearby, so I did not eat there.

I came here for their afternoon tea, which was quite delightful. They have a science theme, which made it particularly fun. I like the astronaut chocolate. The ambiance is cute, baby blue walls with whimsical paintings of animals coming out of various drink glasses. The service is excellent and the tea is good. The sweets were a tad bit too sweet, but still quite good.

Went for afternoon tea and it was wonderful. Decor is fun - not stuffy - and gluten free tea option was the best I've ever had.

Tea time in a lovely setting. Very retro chic, colorful and quirky. The tea itself is lovely and very aromatic. The afternoon tea set was a bit overloaded on sticky sweets for our taste and would have done better with more savory treats. Science theme was...interesting. Very exciting to see the dry ice mist rise with the smoke however! Service overall was pretty abysmal after tea arrived. It took asking three times over the course of an hour to finally get our bill. Decent experience in lush drawing rooms. We would probably look elsewhere for our next tea time however

We chose the hotel based on the immediate area it is in. We normally stay on the main road, but this was very close to the tube stop and had a queue of taxis right outside the hotel constantly as a result. The neighborhood was fantastic, but the hotel left a little to be desired. It's definitely cuter in photographs, and they do a great job marketing the property - but once inside I realized it was better in pictures. Not bad, mind you but I wish I knew that the pictures were better than reality. Our room was quiet as requested, and the free minibar was a pleasant surprise but it was a dark, dark small room. I also wish the bathroom had a bathtub, but it had nice heated floors and the fixtures were the best part of the room. The interior of the room was dark, which added to the already bleak London sky. (Though I like cave-like interiors, I think lighter colors in a dark small room would be better.) I felt the staff were a bit hover-y at times, or just absent altogether. Not really in-between. I actually felt uncomfortable walking through the lobby or asking the staff for anything, which I don't normally feel at all wherever I go. Now that I think about it, it was the same kind of feeling I had when I worked at a corporation whose staff feared big corporate layoffs at any minute. ln any case, I did like the location so I may give the hotel another go. Maybe I will try a room in another part of the hotel and the staff might be a little more genuine the next time I'm there...

Very disappointed with the Ampersand Science Afternoon Tea. Our family has been wanting to come here for a couple of years now and we finally decided to do it on this trip. The setting is small, but cozy and nice, and this is where the satisfaction ends. As other reviews have stated, the tea room is understaffed and it was impossible to get any service. For the price of the tea in comparison to other venues in London, they must step up their service. The "science" part of the tea is fun and gimmicky for the kids, and the mixing of the lemonade and dried ice was a hit. However, the taste of the food was just alright. My kids wanted more of the sandwiches, because they don't like the sweets, but it was impossible to get the staff to bring anything additional. We asked for more milk for our tea and it came to our table 1/2 hr later, when our tea was cold. The staff never asked if we wanted more tea or anything else. We will not return to the Ampersand again as there are so many other better options in London.

We just stayed here for three nights at the end of a three-week vacation. It was definitely our favorite hotel room during our entire trip. The Ampersand kindly upgraded our room to a deluxe room. Each of their room categories has a theme -- astronomy, music, ornithological, botanical, geometry. When we were deciding on a hotel, this made me a tiny bit nervous. The photographs looked like the themes were well done, but we often find hotels to be over-designed with lots of artwork and clashing patterns even if they look simple online. We were relieved to discover The Ampersand is classy as hell, and found the theme in our room subtle and charming. The bed was extremely comfortable, the bathroom was stunning, everything was SO CLEAN. The details they thought of were great -- ice in your ice bucket, eye makeup remover in your bath kit, complimentary soft drinks in the mini-bar. Best of all, we found every staff member we encountered to be charming, friendly, and kind/patient enough to answer any questions (we had lots about the Tube). The location is great -- literally a crosswalk away from the South Kensington station, and a short walk away to Hyde Park or Chelsea. I wish there were more Ampersands in the world -- we'll definitely be staying here every time we return to London!

Excellent afternoon tea. Great champagne, premium teas and coffees, and home-made pastries in the Ampersand Hotel's Drawing Rooms. Delicious ingredients, striking artwork and, a stylish setting: it's the perfect afternoon!

Went here with my best friend and our two 6 year old daughters and it was absolutely terrible. The service was appalling and we were neglected the whole time. This place is awful, go to the TAJ hotel and enjoy their Alice in Wonderland tea - it is incredible!