Excellence Luxury Villas · Kensington
Luxury Apartments and Townhouses in Kensington
Apartments and townhouses between Holland Park and the great museums, with Kensington Gardens on the doorstep
As featured in
A royal borough with a park at the end of every street
Kensington is the part of London that feels most like a village, while having a palace at one end of it. Queen Victoria was born at Kensington Palace in 1819, and the gardens she played in as a child are still the neighbourhood's back lawn. To the south lie the great museums of Exhibition Road, and to the west is the leafy calm of Holland Park.
Our Kensington collection runs to 90+ properties. Most are apartments in stucco-fronted terraces and mansion blocks, from one-bedroom flats near the High Street to family apartments with terraces off Phillimore Gardens and Campden Hill. There are also townhouses with up to 8 bedrooms.
Here is a guide to the streets, the museums and the best time to come.
Kensington at a glance
- Apartments
- 90+ apartments and townhouses, with up to 8 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £3,000 to £5,900 a week, from around £2,300
- Best areas
- Holland Park, Campden Hill and Phillimore, the High Street, and South Kensington
- Highlights
- Kensington Palace, the V&A, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Albert Hall
- Getting there
- Heathrow is under an hour away on the Piccadilly line, and quicker by car outside rush hour
Browse all 90+ properties in Kensingtonor see them on the map
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
House Campden Kensington: Elegant 6-Bedroom Apartment for Family Stays – Kensington6 bedrooms
House Bise Phillimore Kensington: Elegant 5-Bedroom Apartment for Families – Kensington5 bedrooms
Apartment Rental in Evelyn Gardens | 5-Bedroom Apartment in London Ken5 bedrooms
House Vesper Phillimore Kensington: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Air-Con – Kensington3 bedroomsKensington and its neighbours
Holland Park and Phillimore for quiet residential streets, the High Street and Kensington Church Street for shops and restaurants, and South Kensington for the museums and the Royal Albert Hall.
Royal lawns, a round pond and Peter Pan
Kensington Palace sits at the western edge of Kensington Gardens, and its State Apartments and changing exhibitions are open to visitors. The gardens are a fine place to begin a morning, with the Round Pond, the Italian Gardens and the statue of Peter Pan, which has stood near the Long Water since 1912.
Families tend to head for the Diana Memorial Playground, with its pirate ship. Further east, the gilded Albert Memorial faces the Royal Albert Hall, and the Serpentine Galleries put on contemporary art in the middle of the park.
Explore Knightsbridge
Albertopolis and a very long day of museums
Money from the Great Exhibition of 1851 paid for the cluster of institutions known, half fondly, as Albertopolis. The Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A stand within a few minutes' walk of each other on and around Exhibition Road, and their permanent collections are free to enter.
Children will make straight for the dinosaurs. Adults may well lose an afternoon in the V&A's cast courts or its fashion galleries, then cross Cromwell Road for an early supper before a concert at the Royal Albert Hall.
Explore South Kensington
Peacocks, a Japanese garden and antiques
Holland Park is the quieter of Kensington's green spaces, with woodland walks, wandering peacocks and the Kyoto Garden, a Japanese garden with a waterfall and koi. Leighton House, the Victorian painter Frederic Leighton's home, is close by. Its tiled Arab Hall is one of the more surprising rooms in London.
The Design Museum sits on Kensington High Street, in the former Commonwealth Institute. Kensington Church Street climbs north past antique dealers towards Notting Hill Gate, with Portobello Road a short walk beyond.
Browse homes in Holland Park
Proms, opera in the park and Christmas lights
Kensington is good company all year, but summer is its high point. The BBC Proms fill the Royal Albert Hall from mid-July to mid-September. Opera Holland Park performs under its canopy in June, July and August, and each year a new Serpentine Pavilion opens in Kensington Gardens. The Chelsea Flower Show, in late May, is only a short taxi ride away.
Autumn is the time for exhibitions, and in December the museums and the High Street light up for Christmas. Our concierge can book Proms tickets, restaurant tables, private museum tours and airport transfers.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Kensington
House Cers Holland Park Kensington: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Hot Tub – Kensington3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £7,560 a week
South Kensington Mews United Kingdom4 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £7,247 a week
House Gloaming Holland Park Kensington: Elegant 3-Bedroom Apartment with Garden Access – Kensington3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £7,210 a week
Rent Apartment Phillimore United Kingdom2 bedrooms · sleeps 5From £7,049 a week
Villa Helm Hawkeslow Kensington: Luxury 3-Bedroom Apartment with Terrace – Kensington London3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,468 a week
House Ladbroke Kensington: Spacious 4-Bedroom Family-Friendly Apartment – Kensington4 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £6,356 a week
House Gloaming Earl’s Court Kensington: Luxurious 3-Bedroom Apartment Near Museums – Kensington3 bedrooms · sleeps 5From £6,342 a week
House Kensington Brompton: Chic 3-Bedroom Luxury House with Family-Friendly Amenities – Kensington3 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £6,132 a weekSearch all 90+ properties in Kensingtonor see them on the map
Why book your apartment in Kensington with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Kensington runs from busy museum streets to silent garden squares, and we know which apartments are a short walk from the park, the Tube or a good school-holiday morning out. With 90+ properties in Kensington, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Proms and theatre tickets, restaurant reservations, private museum and palace tours, nannies, grocery deliveries and transfers from Heathrow. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Kensington?
Holland Park, Campden Hill and the streets around Phillimore Gardens are the quietest and most residential. The High Street suits those who want shops and the Tube close at hand, and South Kensington puts you within a short walk of the museums and the Royal Albert Hall.
When is the best time to visit Kensington?
Late spring and summer are the liveliest, with the Chelsea Flower Show in May, Opera Holland Park and the BBC Proms from mid-July. Autumn and the run-up to Christmas are quieter and very good for exhibitions.
Are the South Kensington museums free?
Yes. The permanent collections of the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A are free, though some temporary exhibitions charge and are worth booking ahead.
Can you arrange a private chef at a apartment in Kensington?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Kensington cost?
Across our 90+ properties in Kensington, weekly rates typically range from £3,000 to £5,900, with the most affordable from around £2,300 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Kensington from Heathrow?
The Piccadilly line runs from Heathrow to Gloucester Road and South Kensington in under an hour. A car is usually quicker outside rush hour, and our concierge can arrange a private transfer.
Are there apartments in Kensington for large groups?
Yes. Our Kensington collection includes properties with up to 8 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your apartment in Kensington
90+ apartments and townhouses in Kensington, booked direct with our London concierge on hand