“A rock’n’roll hotel that’s a class act all round”
As rock’n’roll hotels go, The Gore is pretty impressive. ‘Wow, the Rolling Stones one’? is a common reaction from people when this boutique hotel is mentioned, as the band launched their Beggars Banquet album in the bar in 1968.
The Royal Albert Hall is just round the corner, so historically the hotel has been handy for performers like opera singer Dame Nelly Melba who has a luxurious room named in her honour. The bed she slept on is set into a canopied recess, and faux leopard print armchairs and a bronze statue of Venus add to the glamour. The Judy Garland room is even more opulently camp, with an ornate gilt headboard towering over the bed and a hand painted tiled mural of a Roman chariot in the bathroom.
But the best room is the suite, aka The Tudor Room. A stone fireplace, stained glass windows and a cast iron bath with a copper shower screen make this a room fit for royalty. The four poster bed is made from dark oak wood, the beams on the ceiling have carved figureheads, and the bathroom is found at the end of a secret passage, accessed by a concealed door in the wooden wall. There is even a 15th century minstrels gallery, which could only be improved if there was a staircase leading up to it. Period features aside, there is a DVD player, iPod docking station and phone charger. Oh, and toiletries are from Penhaligon’s, the classic British perfumers.
The Gore has a remarkable history; it was opened in 1892 by two sisters who were relatives of Captain Cook. Over the years Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple have stayed here; more recently Robbie Williams, Bjork and Paolo Nutini have been guests.
And the rooms aren’t the only attraction. Bistro 190 has a reliable menu of modern British food that’s far better than your average hotel restaurant. Bar 190 (that’s the Rolling Stones one) is popular with affluent locals and the post-theatre crowd, and the VIP ‘Cinderella Carriage’ lives up to its name with plush red velvet curtains and gold painted wood, a combination that would look garish in most places, but here it simply matches the glorious extravagance of the rest of the hotel. Surprisingly it’s rather good value too, with rooms starting from £168 up to £426 for the Tudor Room. A class act all round.
Our score: 9/10
THE GORE
190 QUEEN'S GATE
LONDON
SW7 5EX
www.gorehotel.com
