The Portobello Hotel - Part of A Curious Group of Hotels - London

Travel68150851995

Alice (in Wonderland ) would be at home in the Portobello Hotel. Delightfully quirky with individualized rooms. |Service is friendly and location perfect. |I have stayed here multiple times and I think it’s a real treat, if you can give up grand hotel amenities like spas and restaurants ( which abound in Notting Hill), this hotel has charm and comfort at a reasonable price.

Sarah D

Honestly, the only reason I'm giving 2 stars is because of Naeem, the night porter, who was exceptional. We returned for drinks on our anniversary and ended up chatting with Naeem, thoroughly enjoying the conversation. He was professional yet approachable and authentic. Initially, the hotel said they couldn't arrange a cab to the airport at 6:30am due to Carnivale, despite an earlier email promising they'd arrange one if needed. The day staff told us to just 'figure out the tub I guess' even though we needed to leave very early. But Naeem saved the day and managed to get us a cab on our last night. He is, without a doubt, the best employee they have and deserves a promotion.||Otherwise, this hotel was a huge disappointment and just sucked. I don't say this lightly, as I'm not one to leave such a directly negative review, but the experience felt like a bait and switch. We booked a 'Marvelous' room, which looked nothing like the photos on their website—not even close to the images of their basic rooms. Ours was a dark, damp basement room, lacking any charm. The bathtub was an antique, and not in a good way—it was rusted and non-functional. It came with detailed instructions, warning that if you didn't release the pressure in the valves correctly, it could break. Talk about stressful! The shower barely got warm, the ceilings were low, and the bed was ridiculously lumpy.||The rest of the staff, aside from Naeem, were nearly incompetent. When I asked the front desk if we had been mistakenly placed in a lower-level room, the staff member replied, "Yes, it's 'marvelous,' and you're not the only one to complain about it." She did offer to move us to a better room the next day, but at our own cost. We declined due to the hassle as we only stayed two nights. It's clear they know this room disappoints guests but aren't interested in fixing it. While waiting for my husband, I overheard another guest frustrated over having to switch rooms during his four-night stay in an 'Outstanding' room, their top option. The employee blamed the reservation team, who wouldn't be back until the following week. Other front desk staff were no better: one forgot to call a cab for our theatre show, and another was overly chatty, making entering or exiting the hotel awkward. ||I'm extremely disappointed we spent money on this hotel. It was a huge letdown, especially at this price. The room was such a let down that we would have switched hotels, but we had family meeting us in the area. Unless you're a celebrity staying in one of their 1 or 2 genuinely nice rooms, you'll end up paying hundreds for hostel-level accommodations.||Pros:||Great location, close to 'Core' restaurant (3 Michelin stars, and the food was amazing)|Nicely decorated small lobby with a 24/7 honesty bar|Some celebrities stay here, as the staff eagerly pointed out, if that’s of interest||||Cons:||Our room was in the basement, dark, and extremely damp|Uncomfortable, lumpy bed|Shower was barely functional, leaked all over, and never got hotter than lukewarm|Toilet ran all night and couldn't be fixed|The room looked nothing like the pictures and was a huge downgrade in quality|Staff was polite but failed to call cabs for dinner, the theatre, or the airport, and did nothing to acknowledge our anniversary despite being informed|Room was only cleaned once during our two-night stay

Treasure Island

The location is great, and the staff are friendly, but the hotel is in serious need of a renovation. The carpets in the bedrooms are filthy, and my mattress was awful—completely sunken on one side, as if an elephant had slept in it the night before. There’s visible damp in the building, with paint blistering off the walls, and the AC unit in my room was noisy/old. The bathrooms are incredibly cramped, barely 3 ft by 4 ft, making them difficult to use. I wouldn’t stay here again, but I’d be thrilled to return—and pay more—if they renovated. It feels like the hotel might have been a family home converted into a hotel in the 70s and has had no real capital investment since. If you arrive with very low expectations or are okay with a "Fawlty Towers" experience, it might work for you. But if you're sensitive to dirt, grime, dampness, or dust, this place is not for you.

David R

We have just returned from a much needed break away and the portobello hotel was perfect - an oasis of total calm and tranquility. The cleanliness and standard of the room we had and the whole hotel was outstanding. The staff work as a complete team, managed by Keith who runs the hotel with great attention to detail, sincerity and genuineness. We felt instantly at home and nothing was too much trouble. Our allocated room was incredible - linens, furnishings and toiletries of the highest standard and the most comfortable bed ever! Breakfast was beautifully presented and cooked. Attention to detail on the cups and saucers were a delight - all makes the trip memorable - the lounge / bar area exudes calm with soft soothing music . We would not hesitate to recommend this fantastic unique hotel to anyone. Thank you to all the team.

Amorina Balavoine

Incredibly Kind helpful and patient Staff,
Considerate when it came to allergies.
More accommodating than I could have ever expected.

Made for the end of a perfect Mother’s Day weekend treat.

Mesmerised by the grounds and the crafting to make such a exquisite environment. If only more rooms could all be done in a similar fashion I could see myself coming back time and time again.

If you forget to ask the functionality of everything.

Note: the dimmers I missed on arrival. (See pics) They are somewhat covered and easily missed at the sides of the bed (I found the following morning) . It makes an immense different to be able to control them and the wallpaper come to life.

Hope you have a similarly wonderful experience when you stay!

Jessica Heim

We LOVED our stay at the Portobello! We were on the top floor, and the elevator was always a bit of an adventure, but certainly reliable. The beds are very comfortable and so cozy, and the amenities in the room are lovely. We loved the view over the garden, and the room heated up and cooled down quickly when needed. We really enjoyed the small sitting area with the fun red arm chairs. We felt like we were staying at a good friend's guest room. Very nice, safe feeling neighborhood with lots of good food spots nearby.

Katie Roach

We booked this hotel for our 1st Wedding Anniversary, and my gosh it didn't disappoint. As soon as we walked in, we saw the hotel was beautifully decorated, and had an incredibly homely feel to it. Our room was simply beautiful and very quiet. Everything was perfect, including the exceptionally comfortable bed. We would 100% recommend this hotel to anybody looking for a hotel room for a special occasion.

Julie R

Had a wonderful stay here. The front desk staff were always friendly, welcoming, and accommodating (special thanks to Esther who helped me check in and get settled). This is a very safe and lovely area of London. The location is perfect...walking distance to shops, dining, and the Notting Hill Gate tube station. This tube station serves three lines which is a huge advantage over other stations. When I come back to London, I'm definitely staying here again.