If you’ve ever taken the Tube to Gloucester Road, you couldn’t miss it. The Holiday Inn Kensington Forum London UK is basically a concrete landmark. It’s huge. Honestly, with 906 rooms stacked into a brutalist tower, it’s been one of the biggest hotels in the city for decades. But things are changing fast. If you're looking to book a room there right now, you might notice something weird: it's not exactly business as usual.
The hotel is currently slated for a massive redevelopment. We're talking a total transformation.
For years, this place was the go-to for airline crews and budget-conscious tourists who wanted to be near the museums but didn't want to pay South Kensington prices. It’s a bit of a beast, design-wise. Some people love that 1970s functionalism; others think it’s a bit of an eyesore on the London skyline. Regardless of where you stand, its history is deeply tied to the growth of international tourism in West London.
The Reality of Staying at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum London UK
Let's be real. Staying here wasn't always about luxury. It was about scale. When you have nearly a thousand rooms, the lobby feels more like an airport terminal than a boutique hotel.
You’ve got the Cromwell Road right outside. It’s noisy. It’s busy. But the location? Unbeatable. You can walk to the Natural History Museum in ten minutes. The Victoria and Albert Museum is just a bit further. For travelers landing at Heathrow, the Piccadilly Line drops you almost at the front door. That convenience kept the occupancy rates high even when the interior decor started looking a little tired around the edges.
Inside, the rooms were pretty much what you’d expect from a standard Holiday Inn, just multiplied by a thousand. They were clean. They were functional. They had those firm pillows people either swear by or toss on the floor. The "Forum" part of the name actually harks back to its days as the Penta Hotel, a brand once owned by several European airlines. That's why the layout is so focused on efficiency—it was built to house hundreds of flight attendants and pilots on short layovers.
Why the Redevelopment Is Such a Big Deal
The Kensington Forum has been at the center of a massive planning tug-of-war for years. Queensgate Investments and Rockwell Property have been pushing for a scheme that would see the current building replaced.
It hasn't been easy.
The local community in Chelsea and Kensington is notoriously protective of the skyline. The original proposal involved a dual-tower design reaching up to 30 stories. People flipped. There were concerns about "overshadowing" and the sheer density of the project. Eventually, the Mayor of London had to step in because the local council wasn't moving fast enough.
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What’s the plan now? Well, it's about balance. The new vision for the site of the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum London UK includes a mix of hotel space, serviced apartments, and—crucially—affordable housing. This is a rare thing for this part of London. Usually, "affordable" and "Kensington" don't even belong in the same sentence.
- The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs during construction.
- The green space around the base of the tower is supposed to be significantly improved to make it less "concrete jungle" and more "neighborhood friendly."
- The total room count will likely shift to accommodate different types of travelers, moving away from the "one size fits all" model of the current structure.
What Happened to the Jazz?
One of the coolest, most overlooked things about the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum was the Tavern Pub. It wasn't just a hotel bar. It was a legitimate jazz hub.
For years, the hotel hosted live sessions that drew locals and guests alike. It had this weird, wonderful vibe—traditional London pub meets international transit hub. You’d have a businessman from Tokyo sitting next to a jazz enthusiast from Fulham. It gave the hotel a soul that most giant chain hotels lack.
When the hotel eventually shuts its doors for the full demolition and rebuild, that specific atmosphere will be hard to replicate. You can build new glass walls and install high-speed Wi-Fi, but you can’t manufacture thirty years of late-night jam sessions.
Finding Alternatives in the Area
Since the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum London UK is winding down its current operations to prepare for its next chapter, you might need somewhere else to crash. Kensington isn't short on hotels, but it is short on affordable ones.
If you liked the convenience of the Forum, the Crowne Plaza London Kensington is right across the street. It’s a bit more "polished" but carries a similar price tag. If you want something that feels a bit more like old-school London, look at the smaller townhouses toward Earl’s Court. They have narrower stairs and smaller elevators, but way more character.
There's also the Marriott Ashbourne and the Hotel Indigo nearby. Both are solid, but they don't have the sheer volume of the Forum. That’s the thing about a 900-room hotel; you could almost always find a vacancy at the last minute. As this giant exits the market, the mid-range hotel scene in West London is definitely going to feel a bit more squeezed.
A Brutalist Icon or a Concrete Mistake?
Architectural critics have a love-hate relationship with this building. Designed by Richard Seifert—the same guy behind Centre Point and Tower 42—the Forum represents a specific era of London’s growth.
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Seifert was the king of the high-rise. He knew how to navigate the complex planning laws of the 60s and 70s to get things built. The Forum was his way of saying that Kensington didn't just have to be about Victorian terraces; it could be modern, too. Or at least, what passed for modern in 1972.
The problem is that brutalism doesn't always age gracefully. Concrete stains. The wind tunnels created by tall towers make the sidewalks unpleasant. And let’s face it, the "pod" style bathrooms that were revolutionary back then feel a bit like showering in a plastic box today.
Understanding the Impact on Local Tourism
When the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum London UK stops taking bookings, it removes a massive chunk of the "affordable" bed stock in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Think about the math. 900 rooms. If each room holds two people, that’s 1,800 tourists every night who aren't eating in the local pubs or buying tickets to the museums.
Local businesses are nervous. The pubs on Gloucester Road and the cafes near the Tube station rely on that constant flow of guests. The redevelopment is a long-term play, but the short-term "void" left by the closure is a real concern for the neighborhood economy.
Logistics and Getting Around
If you are one of the last few people staying at the Forum before the major changes take hold, you've got to make the most of the location.
Gloucester Road station is the heartbeat of the area. It serves the District, Circle, and Piccadilly lines.
- Head North: You’re in Hyde Park in 15 minutes.
- Head East: You’re at South Kensington’s museum row in one stop.
- Head West: You’re on your way to Heathrow.
Walking is actually your best bet for the immediate area. Don't bother with Ubers for short trips; the traffic on Cromwell Road is a nightmare. Honestly, you'll reach the Science Museum faster on foot than in a car.
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Actionable Steps for Travelers and Locals
If you’re planning a trip to London soon, here is exactly what you need to do regarding the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum:
Verify Your Booking Status
If you have an old booking or are looking at third-party sites, double-check the dates. With the redevelopment looming, certain wings of the hotel may be closed, or the entire property may have limited services. Always call the front desk directly rather than relying on an automated confirmation email.
Explore the "Upper" Kensington Area
Since the Forum's future is in flux, look toward the northern edge of Kensington High Street. Hotels like the Hilton Olympia or the various apartments near Holland Park offer a similar "west-side" vibe but with a bit more stability during this transition period.
Visit the Tavern Pub While You Can
If the bar is still accessible during your visit, go. It’s a piece of London hotel history that won’t exist in its current form for much longer. Grab a pint, listen to whatever music is playing, and soak in the weird, transient energy of a 900-room hotel lobby.
Watch the Planning Portal
If you're a local or a real estate nerd, keep an eye on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s planning portal. The specific details of the "new" Forum are still evolving, and the public documents show a fascinating look at how London balances the need for new housing with the demands of the tourism industry.
Check the Rewards Points
If you’re an IHG One Rewards member, you might find that the points-redemption value at the Forum fluctuates wildly as they prepare for the change. Sometimes you can snag a "Points + Cash" deal that makes a stay here incredibly cheap, even by London standards.
The Holiday Inn Kensington Forum London UK has served its purpose for half a century. It wasn't always pretty, and it wasn't always quiet, but it was a workhorse. As it moves toward its inevitable demolition and rebirth, it marks the end of an era for big-box brutalist hotels in the capital. Whether the new glass-and-steel replacement will have the same "character" remains to be seen, but for now, the giant of Cromwell Road still stands, even if its days are numbered.