Large and comfy beds. Big family room with sofa and tv (room 325), view over Hyde Park but blocked by the park trees. Bathroom old but well maintained. Breakfast was good with good choice of food (pastries, bread, cereals, charcuterie, etc.) for 12£ per adult and 6£ per child. Big hotel with 4 floors and 25 rooms per floor. Room was well cleaned and refurbished with biscuits and tea/coffee every day. Very good coffee machine!

The bathroom ventilation was too noisy and we could hear the different ventilation from rooms nearby constantly through the night. The shower head could be more modern. Was hard to avoid splashing everywhere as it was not flexible.

The staff were friendly and helpful and the room very clean. Well located, opposite to Hyde Park and situated between Queensway and Lancaster Gate tube stations (both on central line). Within walking distance of Kensington Palace. The Royal Alert Hall is on the far side of the park - but also within walking distance, during daylight hours (I do not know the opening times of the park nor how well lit it is in the evening). One of the Hop on Hop off Bus touring companys also has a stop near by the hotel. The room was very clean and looked to have been reasonably recently refurbished (I would employ whoever hung the striped wallpaper because it was so well done). This is a period hotel and the style of furnishing/bathroom choices reflects both this and the price range. I have stayed at the hotel before and no doubt will again in the future.

There was no welcom pack in the room - which would have been useful. A bedside lamp/wall light - with switched that could be reached from the bed - would also have been nice.

Excellent location opposite Hyde Park between Queensway and Lancaster Gate tube stations. Our room was very spacious.

Beware: Breakfast staff Pavel acted highly rude, disrespectful, impolite, and definitely not welcoming, resulting in a total evaluation downgrade by 2 points (29 Dec 2024). Better training in receiving guests next time is highly recommended to avoid downgrade.

I already wrote a review for my stay in the Columbia from 7-9 Oct 25, and I can only repeat what I said already. Everything positive. From the staff to the room itself, to the breakfast and to the position. The Columbia is also a very beautiful and well-preserved building, inside as well as outside, quite classy really. I think Victorian from the 19th century. As I asked for a quiet room, I naturally did not have a room with a great view over London. There was no safe in the room, but I could leave the valuables with the reception, and there they were safe. The hotel WIFI in the room worked perfectly.

Everything great.

The hotel is an imposing Victorian building facing Kensington Gardens near the Lancaster Gate tube station. We were able to check in early, which was very much appreciated (after leaving home in the early hours). The spacious room was on the top, 3rd, floor with a good view of Kensington Gardens (photos uploaded). The room and en-suite were cleaned and tidied each day and the consumables (toiletries, tea, milk, biscuits) replenished. The double bed was comfortable as were the armchairs. The en-suite had a full-size bath, again much appreciated. We were also able to check out a bit later than standard, allowing us to conveniently visit a museum in the morning and to quickly refresh for the journey home. All the staff we encountered were very friendly and helpful. We will definitely consider staying here again on a future visit (in contrast to a similar hotel a couple of hundred metres away that we stayed in the previous time).

We were notified before travelling that there was a problem with the lift which was awaiting a replacement part. This meant that we had to use the stairs each time and there were a lot of them as the imposing building had high ceilings. However, we would not have swapped the view for a lower room and we no doubt benefited from the extra exercise. The hotel offered, and we gladly accepted, the transfers of the suitcase between reception and the room. This imposing hotel has seen much better days and would benefit from refurbishment. However, it is clean (passing my wife's demanding test) and offers a comfortable, spacious stay in a good location at a reasonable price.

I seriously love this hotel! Such an amazing atmosphere/vibe in a beautiful old English hotel. Yes, it was hot and there is no Air Con but we were provided with fans which did the trick. And we could open windows and I love that! Now I'm not sure what rooms have creaky floor boards as due to the Air Canada flight attendant strike which meant we were stranded in London and had to stay longer than planned, my sister and I stayed in 3 rooms and never encountered a single creaky floor board! And of course, as we were in London for a family reunion, we had adult children in other rooms too and they were all just perfectly fine. So In a nutshell.... Excellent location - located a ten-minute walk between 4 underground stations (Paddington, Bayswater, Queensway and Lancaster Gate), close to many eateries and Sainsbury's Local and just across the street from Kensington Gardens. Comfy beds. Rooms are quite large. #103 has the highest ceilings!!! Shower may be in the bathtub but it's got excellent water pressure (and you can also take a bath). There's also a railing in the bathtub so you don't slip and break your hip/neck/whatever. Not my concern but it was nice to see. No wait-elevator and large staircase. Rooms were serviced every day. Quiet on most nights though a little noisier on the Saturday night. Large lobby lounge area where we could meet up with family and just sit on the sofas (where we chatted for hours and no one seemed to mind). We were not the only ones who caught up with friends or family in the lounge - it was just really nice. Amazingly helpful and friendly staff. No views on the breakfast as we ate elsewhere but at GBP 12, this seemed in line with the many breakfast establishments on Queensway which charged a similar price for full breakfast only (add the cost of a coffee).

I pity those who find something to complain about - this hotel is a gem.

A very charming and well managed hotel with extremely efficient, friendly and accommodating staff, and a healthy and relaxing and atmosphere. The position is perfect for arriving e.g. from Heathrow with the Heathrow Express train straight to Paddington station a few minutes walk away, for the Kensington garden which is just across the road, or for the magnificent Victoria & Albert museum, just through Kensington garden. The breakfast room is beautifully decorated; it is a pleasure to sit there and enjoy to one's heart's desire from the wide selection at the breakfast buffet with never-ending supplies.

Everything perfect.

The location of The Columbia is excellent and a big draw. It is a five-minute walk to Lancaster Gate underground and directly across the street from Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. While the staff are friendly and the room was clean, the hotel is looking tired and in need of refurbishment. There was a continental breakfast served each day with plenty of choice.

No air-conditioning or fans in the room made the room very stuffy and hot given the 20+ degree temperatures. Creaky floorboards everywhere and thin walls could make it a little noisy depending who was staying in adjacent rooms.

Room very hot on arrival. We did have a fan to use after verifying heat was really turned off. Toilet seat broke on 3rd day but they fixed it. Fan, window open and drapes closed during the day kept room comfortable to sleep. Towels, extra needed to be obtained, as I have long hair. Good water pressure and quick hot water in shower. Has separate vanity for make up. Great bedding! Not a lot of outlets and bring adapters. Breakfast at £10.00 each/day was perfect. I would use it again, but others who don’t appreciate the old charm would opt for newer/updated facilities. Staff helpful! Dry cleaners and laundry around corner. Family run restaurants right around corner excellent Italian, breakfasts and pubs. Kensington gardens across street from tube stop- Lancaster Gate which is 5 minutes walk to hotel. Extremely convenient-11 minute walk to Paddington station to catch express to Heathrow airport. All in all great neighborhood.

I liked the location. The beds were very comfortable.

The television in our room was tiny but noticed some rooms had bigger tvs. It did not have constant tv connection so we watched what ever did not lose signal. The hall way doors and elevator door should have slow closing hinges. The doors kept slamming shut.