One of London’s oldest hotels has been given a new lease of life following a multi—million pound refurbishment.The Barkston Gardens Hotel, Earl’s Court, which dates back to 1886, has been re-launched as the Hotel Indigo London Kensington – Earl’s Court by its owner the Cairn Hotel Group.
The Newcastle-based leisure firm, which has owned the site for more than 20 years, has invested £7m to transform it into a modern, boutique hotel and bring it in line with Hotel Indigo’s exacting brand standards.
As a result of this multi-million pound makeover the property now boasts 100 individually-decorated bedrooms, including 22 executive rooms and 11 junior suites, each with a complimentary mini-bar and free WiFi.
It also houses a new bar, themed around an 1890s private members club, which specialises in carbonated and molecular cocktails, as well as serving a range of dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea.
Vincent Garrington, General Manager at the Hotel Indigo London Kensington – Earl’s Court, said, “A lot of money has been spent transforming this landmark property into a modern, boutique hotel befitting of the Hotel Indigo brand.
The Cairn Hotel Group, which owns and operates 22 hotels across the UK, already works with a number of high profile brands including Doubletree by Hilton, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn.
The Hotel Indigo London Kensington – Earl’s Court is the firm’s first site to open under the Intercontinental Hotels Group’s Hotel Indigo brand, with the Hotel Indigo Edinburgh set to follow in 2014.
Since the refurbishment of Hotel Indigo London Kensington – Earl’s Court was completed in December the hotel has been awarded a Trip Advisor Award for Outstanding Customer Service and enjoyed trade levels 25 per cent higher than originally predicted.
This success was recently marked with a special Victorian-themed celebration, where ex-England cricketer Darren Gough, declared the Hotel Indigo London Kensington – Earl’s Court officially open.
Vincent said: “From the chic décor to the high standards of customer service and the unique cocktails on offer in the Mansion Bar and Parlour, no detail has been overlooked and everyone at the Cairn Hotel Group is proud of what has already been achieved.”
