Maranton House

General

The hotel’s stone steps lead up to the reception area, with its fresh flowers and deep-red armchairs. Once a home for Catholic women, this high-ceilinged Georgian building offers a relaxed retreat, away from the bustle of Earls Court.

Location

Kensington is a highly desirable residential area best known for Kensington Palace and its gardens. There are also several major museums in South Kensington, including the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Earls Court Exhibition Centre is right across the street. Earls Court London Underground station is on the District and Piccadilly lines, with regular direct trains running to central London and south-west to Wimbledon. The Albert Memorial, commissioned by Queen Victoria in the 19th century to commemorate her late husband, Prince Albert, is just a 10-minute walk away from the hotel in Hyde Park. An elaborate structure with various friezes and pillars of red granite, it has recently been restored to its original splendour and recovered in gold leaf.

Rooms

There are 15 rooms of varying sizes and shapes. All rooms feature original features such as high ceilings, cornices and period Georgian windows. Rooms are decorated in pastel shades with deep carpeting and one or two armchairs. Beds have cotton sheets, with extra blankets in the cupboard. The bathrooms are tiled throughout and each one has a bidet. Some of the rooms at the front of the house have French windows leading out onto wrought-iron balconies, overlooking the tree-lined square.

Restaurant

Continental and full cooked English breakfasts are served in the breakfast room each morning. In the evening, drinks are available for guests at the small white bar. The hotel does not have its own restaurant, but there are several excellent dining options in the surrounding area.