Excellent location, wonderful staff

Had a five night stay here 9/03. Loved the location because of the proximity of so many good restaurants nearby. Rooms were lovely although you may wish to avoid the room below reception because of early morning activity there. They were very accomodating about moving us, though.

Cranley was a great choice.

My wife and I stayed here on our first trip to Europe last June. Mo, the concierge was a great help. The rooms are nice, large bathrooms with great showers. Location is great, very peaceful and close to museuams. Check out the Indian resturant next to the hotel!

A perfect place for our family

We were a family of five, travelling to Great Britain for our first trip abroad. Our third, and final stop was London. We were tired after a long day of travelling and were so pleasantly surprised to find that the Cranley Hotel was so perfect. From the moment we arrived, the staff treated us with the upmost warmth and courtesy. Our two rooms, on the ground floor were spacious, clean and elegant. The three children were in an adjacent , very large room with an enormous bathroom. Beautiful linens , marble bathrooms and lovely wallhangings completed the picture. We were immediately served afternoon tea, a ritual that we indulged in every day. We loved the location and found ourselves using the tube exclusively for our travels. Breakfast was delicious and ample. Finally, the staff was amazing. They all learned our names and greeted us warmly. The concierge, Mo, was invaluable. He helped us at every turn, including checking in on our 7 year old when he was feeling a bit ill. We would never stay anywhere else in London again!

The best hotel in London!!

I can't say enough about how wonderful The Cranley truly is. Every aspect of gracious hospitality has been addressed, from the warm greeting & early check-in (a very welcome experience after a long flight) to the sumptuous breakfasts, teas & canapes in the evening. The 24 hr staff are warm & friendly and couldn't have been more helpful. We definitely looked forward to "coming home" at the end of a long day of touring. Not to mention its convenient location; just down the street from the Gloucester Rd. tube station and in a lovely neighborhood with bars, restaurants & groceries. We'll stay there on EVERY trip to London in the future. Fabulous!

Charming & friendly

A lovely little hotel in a great location, with a truly wonderful staff - warm, friendly, attentive.Returning to the hotel every evening, walking through the charming residential streets of South Kensington, felt like coming home.A few caveats:We were a party of three, in two rooms. The double room was spacious and comfortable, but my single room was so small I had to keep my suitcase in the closet so I could reach the bed. It was attractive and clean, though, with high ceilings and a fully-appointed bathroom.There is an elevator, but it doesn't reach the fourth floor. You have to walk up from the third. Understandable for a retro-fitted Victorian home, but worth noting for folks who can't manage a flight of stairs.The TV-internet access was awkward to set up, and almost impossible to view text on the TV screen. Checking e-mail was laborious & frustrating. I understand it's a relatively new service. Maybe they'll improve it in time.Despite those minor inconveniences, this is a great hotel. Small, cozy, beautifully decorated, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that will certainly bring me back.

Loved This Town House Hotel

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. I guess there are about 25 rooms on about 4 floors of this private town house in South Kensington. Service was very good and helpful. Rooms were fairly large and the bed was extremely comfortable. Great water pressure for the shower... Continental breakfast available for a fee. All other food has to be ordered in... Nearest underground is about 5 blocks away (Gloucester Rd.) Knightsbridge (shopping area) is two stops, or a long walk. Plenty of fine restaurants... A few museums are close too...Try it, you'll like it! RD

Don't ever try to cancel a reservation!

Don't ever try to cancel a reservation here. My husband and I cancelled an April reservation back in February(we have the paperwork to prove this),however, two nights were charged to our credit card in April(interestingly these two nights would have been in the middle of our reservation.) For a hotel with such a fine reputation, they are certainly not in any hurry to rectify this appalling situation. We would definitely never plan to stay at The Cranley!

Value for money... Friendly and Efficient

Four poster beds, plenty of light fluffy pillows and best of all a nice quiet environment. The only hotel I know that has your favourite drink available when you arrive. Don't look for the dining room, there isn't one. Breakfast arrives each morning at your room at the requested time. Being Canadian we have to search out value for our money as the exchange rate is murder. The Cranley is a winner.

A Gem

Tucked down a side street in Kensignton, the Cranley oozes a unique, quite charm. Although they removed their nifty (but small) breakfast room a couple of years ago, things haven't changed a bit through several stays. Actually, the rooms seemed to have been spiffed-up a bit over the past year or two, bringing "very nice" rooms up to great rooms. Don't look for chrome and gaudy...just warm and comfortable. It's not the Ritz, but that's why you stay there.

A wonderful town house hotel. Elegant and clean -- a home away from home

We visited London in April 2000

Without knowing much about the various hotels, I chose The Cranley for my first visit to London and never regretted it. I knew I wanted to stay in or around Kensington. I was traveling with my spouse and five year old son, and anyone who's been to London knows kids can sometimes present a challenge. Many hotels don't have rooms large enough to accommodate a triple. Not so at The Cranley.

When we arrived, we were offered tea and biscuits (cookies) immediately and sat in an elegant and comfortable lobby/sitting room while we waited to check in. It was early April and the weather was brisk, but a warm fire welcomed us. We had arrived very early (9am) after an all night flight from the states, but the hotel allowed us to check our luggage with them while we went exploring at Museum Row which is within easy walking distance. As is Hyde Park, Kensington Palace and Harrods. The Gloucester Rd. Tube Station is only a couple of blocks away, and the South Kensington station is very close as well.

When we returned in the early afternoon, we were shown to a large room (by London standards) with huge windows that faced the quiet street. Decorated in lovely cherry furniture and clean comfortable linens, it had two beds (that would qualify as a little smaller than an American double) plus they brought in a small mattressed cot that was perfect for a five year old. The bathroom was pristine, decorated in marble and glass, with great water pressure, a bath and shower, and a towel warmer and heat lamp. Cushy towels and thick robes are provided.

Breakfast was included each morning with our room rate and we had a tasty variety of croissants, sweet rolls, cereals, tea, freshly squeezed juice, and excellent coffee. More than enough to get us started on our day. At night, the hotel staff were more than happy to accommodate a request for tea and biscuits (cookies).

The Cranley is housed in a Victorian London town house with high ceilings and elegant wood and carved mouldings. When you walk to and from, you feel more as if you are at a home in London rather than a tourist. The streets are quiet, neighborhood streets yet only a couple of blocks from the attractions of Kensington. We stayed three days and never had a bad thing to say while we were there. The hotel was renovating some rooms (we were told) but we never heard noise nor saw any construction dust or dirt. Some rooms also include a kitchenette. My five-year-old loved his little bed and talks non-stop about how much he enjoyed our visit to The Cranley. In fact we're going back later this year and considered trying someplace else...for about five seconds. Why look elsewhere when The Cranley has everything you need without breaking your bank account?