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The Portobello Hotel: a laid back place of retreat for iconic A-listers such as Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Kate Moss. Situated just a stones throw from Portobello Road in Notting Hill, this hotel remains a pleasingly unpretentious place, with a more civilised demeanour than its legends may suggest. My boyfriend and I had heard lots of promising tales about this beautiful historic building so once all booked and our bags packed we couldn’t wait to find out what was in store for our stay.
Walking up the cobbled steps, we were greeted by a charming doorman and as soon as we crossed the threshold it became instantly apparent that the Portobello Hotel was a place to write home about! The interior proved flawless, filled with dark-oak, vintage clocks, intricate paintings, and the most gorgeous antique mirror; each tarnished marking telling its own tale. I trailed my finger tips along the cabinet housed in the 24 hour Honesty bar which held just about every alcoholic beverage you could imagine, vintage whisky glasses, jars of cashew nuts and a simple notepad with handwritten honesty jottings. This place expressed opulence and artistry in every single detail.
When you choose to venture up to your room you can take the stairs or enjoy the hotel’s quirky lift, and of course, we picked the lift, which was truly mesmerising in itself. Decorated in blood red marble and designed to fit only three people inside, it slowly took us up to room number sixteen. With just 21 rooms the Portobello Hotel proves that quality beats quantity every time. Every room is unique in style but all equally beautiful; decorated with Chinese antiques, Persian rugs and button-back leather chairs. Having booked a ‘Better’ room we were ecstatic to hear that we’d been upgraded to an ‘Exceptional’ room.
We turned the oversized vintage steel key in its lock and our room was utterly breathtaking. Before us stood the most remarkable four-poster rounded bed wrapped in gauze curtains which hung through golden tassels and laid upon romantic, vintage sheets. The bathroom, which sat openly at the end of the bed and featured a huge slipper bath tub with vintage chrome fittings, was surrounded in mirroring and complete with Green & Spring spa products to use at your leisure. Every detail of our room truly was ‘exceptional’. From the small vintage wooden cabinet enclosing the hotel’s most historic details and the classic ornate sink to the plush sofa which sat perfectly placed against a mural painted wall.
As day broke we ordered delicious scrambled eggs and smoked salmon from the luxury breakfast menu, served on delicate vintage china along with a silky smooth hot chocolate. We sat and ate breakfast upon plush sheets, looking out of the window onto the leafy Stanley Gardens thankful to have stayed in such a unique and quintessentially charming establishment. The Portobello Hotel truly is a slice of kitsch, British culture and I couldn’t commend it enough.
