Safestay London Kensington – Holland Park

Safestay, a brand of luxury hostels offering affordable, comfortable and stylish accommodation in landmark buildings and superb city centre locations, states on its website that it’s taken budget accommodation to new heights. Well, we can certainly vouch for that proud statement. 

During August 2017, we had the pleasure of visiting London for a few days and were invited to spend our first night at Safestay London Kensington – Holland Park. We’ve stayed in various hostels before but nothing like this one: it’s contemporary, funky, friendly and offers all the facilities needed for your stay – oh, and the location is perfect.

Nestled within one of the capital’s most picturesque parks – Holland Park, to be precise – it means a “must” is to spend time simply strolling around this wonderful green patch of London. Outside, attractions such as Harrod’s, National History Museum, Design Museum, Kensington Palace are just a short distance away – so it’s perfect for tourists, like us. Oh, and don’t miss the wonderful Roof Garden, just off Kensington High Street.

The hostel comprises three buildings, including a rather grand East Wing of the park’s original Jacobean building, and has the usual mix of dormitory-style bedrooms and family rooms. All, though, have been revamped in bold, stylish colours/décor. We stayed in No. 16, a spacious family room consisting of four beds, tea/coffee-making facilities, etc. In fact, the beds seemed larger than we’d experienced at other hostels and we had complimentary toothpaste, tooth brushes and toiletries like shampoo/conditioner.

Our only comments were that the shower was on a push-button timer and couldn’t be adjusted which can be a little annoying plus the lighting could have been brighter in the bedroom. Also, Room 16 is on the ground floor, right next to the courtyard where people sit to chat or eat their meals. This meant we felt on view and with no security catch on the window, we worried about leaving it open at night. But that said, overall, we were really pleased with the room.

The hostel, which offers free wi-fi, maintains its stylish feel throughout the public spaces, too. The large café/bar area is colourful with posters and paintings adorning the walls. From here, you look out across the courtyard garden, with its fountains, relaxing seats and even a hammock – which Hollie & Peter were quick to test out!