Mark Bibby Jackson reviews the Ellen Kensington hotel, part of the Montigo Resorts UK Group to discover an authentically Asian hotel in London.
It was while staying at the Montigo Resort in Somerset filming a video that we bumped into the Singaporean owners, they were significantly impressed by our work to invite us to do likewise for their London property the Ellen Kensington.
What struck me about the Montigo Charlton House Somerset was the sense of Asian hospitality that seeped through every pore of the property, so I was interested to see how the concept would transpose to the capital.
An Asian Hotel in London
The answer was seamlessly. Perhaps this is no surprise, as London has embraced Asian culture for decades if not centuries, but what strikes me about the Ellen Kensington is its authenticity. This is no Asian facelift with faux Japanese artwork hanging from its walls, but genuine Asian.
Naturally this starts with the welcome and continues throughout to check out. Asian service levels are renowned within the hotel industry, and Ellen Kensington is no exception.
The resort’s general manager Helen Tan explains as we sit down for a chat. “The owners are Singaporean Chinese,” she says. “We are driven by the warm hospitality that is sincere from the heart.” This is something that comes naturally to all the staff.
Dining at the Ellen Kensington Hotel
Like Helen, executive chef Eugene Lam came to London to work at the Ellen Kensington. Although he hails from Singapore, he studied Japanese cuisine there. “Most of my mentors are Japanese,” he tells me. The menu at Lacquer restaurant is a reflection of both cuisines.
Having lived for a decade in southeast Asia, I believe I can detect genuine Asian food from the pale imitations you can find in several restaurants and pubs around the capital. Lacquer restaurant does not fall into this trap. The food was quite incredible.
Eugene served us a bowl of Asari clams which were cooked in a delightful mix of butter and sake, alongside the most perfectly light deep fried baby squid karaage. The most amazing lobster laksa followed with an aglio olio seafood linguine. For a pescatarian such as myself this was the perfect meal, and briefly transported me back to Asia.
The impeccable service matched the food. Helen would have been proud of her staff.
My room was very well appointed, and although compact was ideal for a stay in London. There was also a lovely welcome gift of fruit and chocolates waiting for me – once more a nice Asian touch of hospitality. The rooms were surprisingly affordable considering the high standard of their decoration and excellent London location.
During our stay which was during the hotel’s soft launch period, its spa was not yet completed. Helen says it is scheduled to open in the summer and will include Asian and Balinese massage, run by Yaya, who I met at Charlton House in Somerset. My massage there was the best I had experienced in the UK, so you can ensure the level of treatment will be excellent.
Ellen Terry
The hotel is located close to Earls Court tube station in a town house where the Victorian actress Ellen Terry (1847-1928) lived and entertained.
This makes it an ideal spot to explore London, with several museums within walking distance, as well as Kensington Gardens and the Albert Hall. There are also some excellent pubs as we discovered, including the formidable Scarsdale Tavern, where we welcomed by all including bulldog Bessie, while filming this video on the pubs of Kensington for our YouTube channel.
At the end of our tour of duty, we returned to the Ellen Kensington, for a nightcap – a Japanese whisky served in the glorious wood-panelled Ellen bar, named after the actress. Then I retired to bed for the soundest sleep to discover in the morning that the towels were undeniably the softest I have ever experienced – I could have lived in them.
Fortified by a breakfast which had all the usual British trimmings as well as a slight Asian touch, I checked out of the Ellen Kensington, an authentically Asian hotel in London with an interesting history, which is surprisingly affordable considering all that it provides.
As Helen says, “We love Ellen Kensington because the customer loves Ellen.”
Ellen Kensington Location
Montigo Resorts UK
Ellen Kensington, 18-26 Barkston Gardens, Kensington & Chelsea, SW5 0EN
