Copthorne Tara Hotel London Kensington

When I booked with Orbitz and prepayed I got an excellent rate. Upon arrival I was pushed to go for an upgrade at additional expense. I did the upgrade but felt the overall value was not as good as the earlier price. In other words the additions I got with the upgrade (breakfast and internet) were not quite worth the cost. The hotel and room were very nice, staff was sometimes helpful sometimes not, very nice location near an underground station.

Price and location is probably the best recommendation for staying at the Copthorne Tara. It's just around the corner from the High Street Underground with lots of nice shops in the vicinity. The rooms are clean and comfortable. Otherwise, there's absolutely nothing special about the Copthorne Tara. And you will pay for everything. My biggest complaint is hotels that advertise High Speed internet but fail to mention that they charge for it. This hotel does so and it is expensive (to me, 8LBS an hour is pricey). Other oddities: if you want ice you have to request it from the bar. The lowest rating is reserved for the staff. They were helpful at Registration but the heady mix of thick foreign accents made for some difficult conversations. Does anyone in London speak the King's English anymore? If I could give the bar staff their own rating, I would award them ONE STAR. Absolutely, the worst I've encountered anywhere. Even when I tipped, the service never improved.

We stayed here for two nights on an extended transit between Europe and home in USA. Getting a decent hotel in London for an acceptable rate is always a challenge. This turned out to be a really good choice. We liked this hotel a lot. It is a bit shabby (peeling wall covering in bedroom, toilet flush handle a bit balky, e.g.). But it is really quiet, despite our room overlooking the tracks that lead to the High Street Kensington station. I am very noise sensitive, so if I say a room is quiet, it is! The location can't be beat. Tube and bus lines nearby, short walk to a Marks Spencer and other stores and restaurants, yet back on a side street away from traffic. The room had a mini-fridge, which is very nice. Chairs in the room were very uncomfortable, but the bed was good. The "guest services" man was rude when we had a simple question about check-out times, but the reception staff were very nice and helpful. On balance, I would definitely stay here again, without hesitation.

The hotel is in a great location, and very accessible to the tube, buses, shopping and other amenities of the Kensington area. However, be prepared to take a big gulp when you first see the hotel. It is terribly dingy on the outside. The good news is that the lobby and reception areas are nice. The living areas of the rooms are also clean but the tub not so much. Good for showers, not baths. WiFi is not free as expected, but in fact £15 per day. There are computers where you can get 10 minutes of access for £1 but half were not working. Also, although all rooms are supposed to be non-smoking, our first room noticeably had recent smokers. Staff found us another room, but were not pleased and offered no assistance in moving. Temperature in the room is controlled so if you don't have the fan on full all the time it gets very stuffy. For a London hotel this was a good spot. In comparison to other hotels it needs work. Would recommend for location.

The hotel was very comfortable and the offered me an upgrade that included everything I needed for a very reasonable price. I had some trouble with the key thogh as they gave me an upgraded room too and forgot to tell me the new room number. That was solved quickly

This hotel has a nice location near an Underground stop on the very useful Central line. The rooms are small but clean, the beds were ok -not great but not uncomfortable. The furniture and bathroom is dated. The staff were very friendly and went out of their way to help with things like directions. Wireless internet is only available in the lobby; there is an ethernet cable in each room for a wired connection. It is expensive - about $24 US for 24 hours and it is not real fast. Nice bar in hotel.

The hotel was in a very convenient spot in Kensington, very near the subway. The hotel itself was fine. It was comfortable and nice and clean each time we returned in the late afternoon. The beds weren't the most comfortable, but OK. The rooms/bathrrooms are kind of old and worn and could use some updating. We wanted a double bed and got twins (we were warned in advance that this might happen). The staff was friendly and very helpful in giving us directions and restaurant recommendations (which were great) as well as helping us make necessary reservations. We found the food overpriced and not especially good and did not eat there after the first morning. One recommendation - provide face cloths - I hate not having a facecloth. I know some of these things sound a bit negative but overall we were quite happy with the hotel. We would definitely stay at this hotel again.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. My hotel room was clean but the place looks very worn. Perhaps some new rugs would be in order? The windows in the guest rooms cannot be opened to get fresh air so you are trapped with stale air. I requested a wake-up call, which I did not get, to catch an early morning light back to the States! Luckily I was still suffering from jet lag and I was unable to sleep. If I had not been awake and depended on the hotel service to wake me up, most likely I would have missed my flight.

Really enjoyed the experience although they do have an upgrade program that is not unlike what you run into at a carnival. We did take it though, it included Internet, better room, continental breakfast (excellent), and comp drinks from 6:30 til 8:00. Hotel is a little on the older side but still elegant.

I liked the use of the club for breakfast and free internet.The service in general was good.