THE GORE HOTEL

Situated in a quiet tree lined street behind the Royal Albert Hall, half a mile from Knightsbridge and South Kensington, the stylishly eccentric Gore Hotel oozes the genteel grandeur of the Victorian age. The 54 guestrooms are decorated with antique furnishings and prints. Some rooms are named after the famous people who once stayed in them, including Judy Garland and Dame Nellie Melba. An eclectic collection of antique pictures and prints covers every inch of wall space and the ornate beds are made up with pure white Egyptian cotton bed linen. All rooms have Internet access, direct dial telephones safes and minibars. The hotel restaurant, Bistrot 190, serves modern European cuisine. Alternatively, guests can relax in the gentlemen's club atmosphere of the Green Room, hung with period portraits and lined with old books. Drinks are served in front of the roaring fire in winter. With its ornate plaster ceiling and mahogany paneled walls, Bar Ninety One is popular with celebrities from the film and television world. The hotel is just 800 meters from the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum. Hyde Park is 500 meters away and a ten minute walk brings guests to Harrods and the many smart boutiques of Knightsbridge. The closest underground station is Gloucester Road, and there is also a wide choice of buses. The hotel can also order black taxis on request. London Heathrow Airport is 14 miles, approximately 40 minutes drive away. The Heathrow Express train and Piccadilly underground line take passengers into central London.