The Gore Hotel London: History, Rooms & Celebrity Stays

The Gore Hotel in South Kensington opened its doors in 1892 and has operated continuously for more than 130 years, according to the property’s official website. This guide draws on historical records, ownership data, and verified guest reviews to give you a fact-based picture of what staying at The Gore actually entails.

Last checked: 2026-08-19

Hotel name: The Gore London – Starhotels Collezione · Location: South Kensington, London · Year opened: 1892 · Number of rooms: 50 · Nearby landmarks: V&A, Natural History Museum, Science Museum · Ownership group: Starhotels Collezione

What is the history of the Gore Hotel in London?

Victorian origins: established 1892

The Gore opened as a hotel in 1892, at a moment when the area around Queen’s Gate was rapidly developing after the Great Exhibition of 1851. The original buildings at 189 and 190 Queen’s Gate were constructed by William Douglas on land owned by the Exhibition commissioners, according to a feature in Town & Country. They were initially built as serviced residences before being converted into a full hotel.

“A quintessentially English hotel since 1892.”

— Starhotels, owner and operator, via the official Starhotels Collezione website

Two townhouses become a hotel

By the standards of its era, the hotel was marketed as genuinely upmarket. Early guests were offered liveried staff, hot and cold running water, horse-drawn carriages, and a hydraulic lift — features that were exceptional for the 1890s, as recorded by travel resource Milesfaster. Secondary sources sometimes name sisters Fanny and Ada Cooke, described as descendants of Captain James Cook, as the original founders. However, a note in the Wikipedia entry for Kensington Gore points out that Captain Cook’s children left no descendants, making that lineage claim unverified.

A history of hosting notable guests

The Gore has maintained long-standing ties with the nearby Royal Albert Hall, hosting performers such as conductor Sir Malcolm Sargent and soprano Dame Nellie Melba, according to Beau Monde Traveler. The hotel’s Judy Garland Suite — a themed room with a gilded bed frame reportedly donated after her stay in the 1960s — remains one of its most promoted signature offerings. Bar 190 cemented the property’s rock-and-roll reputation when it hosted the Rolling Stones’ launch party for the album Beggars Banquet in 1968, as noted by the travel blog A Lady of Leisure.

The bottom line: The Gore’s history is unusually well-documented for a boutique hotel, but the Cooke-sisters origin story contains genealogical ambiguities that contemporary marketing often glosses over.

How many rooms does the Gore Hotel have?

50 rooms spread across two floors

The Gore holds exactly 50 rooms, a count that places it firmly in the intimate-boutique category. The rooms are distributed between the two connected Victorian townhouses at 189 and 190 Queen’s Gate, which gives the floorplan a slightly irregular, townhouse-like character rather than the uniform corridors of a purpose-built hotel. The figure of 50 rooms is widely cited across sources including Wikipedia and travel directories.

Room types: from cosy to opulent

Travel guides describe the room stock as individually styled, with each room featuring different combinations of period wood panelling, antiques, and fabrics. Reviewers on TripAdvisor frequently mention that no two rooms look alike — some are compact and cosy while others are spacious and ornate. The Judy Garland Suite represents the top end of the range. For travellers who prefer standardised room layouts, the variety can be a trade-off.

Decor: opulent yet welcoming

Aggregate ratings on TripAdvisor show more than 2,000 reviews, with the majority scoring the hotel as “excellent” or “very good”. One recent guest wrote: “What a beautifully appointed hotel — from the moment we walked through the door we were blown away by the decor and furnishings.” That tension between historic charm and occasional quirkiness is a recurring theme in guest feedback.

The trade-off: The 50-room count guarantees an intimate feel, but the historic fabric means rooms vary in size and layout more than what guests of chain hotels might expect.

Which hotel do celebs stay in London?

Why celebrities choose The Gore

Search data frequently links Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kate Middleton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Bieber, and Kim Kardashian to The Gore. While the hotel does not publish a confirmed guest register, the persistent association in search queries suggests the property functions as a reliable option for high-profile visitors who value discretion over flash. Its boutique size — 50 rooms — means fewer fellow guests and less lobby traffic than at larger luxury hotels.

A-list names linked to the hotel

The rock-and-roll narrative is anchored by the 1968 Rolling Stones party at Bar 190, but the hotel’s proximity to the Royal Albert Hall also draws classical and contemporary performers. The Hollywood connection is reinforced by the Judy Garland Suite, and the property’s presence in celebrity-focused search queries indicates a consistent pattern of high-profile interest rather than a one-off event.

“A staple in London’s hotel scene since it opened in 1892, it’s not hard to see why.”

— The Hotel Guru, travel critic

Privacy and charm in South Kensington

The location in a quiet residential stretch of Queen’s Gate, away from the main thoroughfares, offers a layer of privacy that larger hotels in Mayfair or the West End cannot replicate. Guests entering and exiting through a traditional townhouse door attract less attention than those passing through a grand hotel lobby. For celebrities who prioritise low-key arrivals and departures, that configuration matters.

Why this matters: No publicly available registry confirms any specific celebrity stay, but the repeated search association and the hotel’s physical layout make it a credible match for high-profile guests seeking privacy.

What is the poshest hotel in England?

How The Gore compares to England’s poshest hotels

England’s “poshest” hotels, by conventional rankings, include properties such as Claridge’s, The Connaught, and The Savoy — each with more than 100 rooms, Michelin-starred restaurants, and spa facilities. The Gore operates at a different scale. It is a 50-room boutique property with no full-service spa and no destination restaurant, which means it competes on atmosphere and location rather than amenity breadth.

What “posh” means at a boutique property

Reviewers on TripAdvisor and The Hotel Guru describe The Gore as “very luxurious” and “opulent”, with an emphasis on antique furnishings, wood panelling, and individually styled rooms. Those descriptors point to a different kind of luxury — one rooted in character and history rather than marble bathrooms and branded toiletries. The hotel’s inclusion in the Starhotels Collezione, a collection of boutique luxury properties, positions it in a mid-tier luxury bracket.

The Gore’s place among London’s elite

When set alongside London’s top-tier hotels, The Gore scores well on charm and authenticity but less well on consistency and modern amenities. Some guest reviews note that the historic fabric means certain features — such as uneven floorboards or older bathrooms — do not meet the polish expected at five-star corporate hotels. For travellers who value period atmosphere over uniform perfection, that trade-off is acceptable.

The bottom line: The Gore is luxurious in a distinctly English, character-focused way, but it is not among London’s top-tier “posh” hotels measured by amenities or service breadth.

What is the oldest hotel in London?

The Gore’s 1892 opening in perspective

London’s oldest continuously operating hotel is widely considered to be Brown’s Hotel, which opened in 1837 on Albemarle Street in Mayfair. The Gore’s 1892 opening makes it more than half a century younger than Brown’s, and several other London properties — including The Ritz (1906 is later, not older) and Claridge’s (1812 as a hotel) — also predate it. Still, 1892 places The Gore among the older generation of London’s boutique hotels, with a 130-plus-year track record.

Oldest London hotels: Brown’s Hotel (1837) and others

Brown’s Hotel, operated by Rocco Forte Hotels, opened in 1837 and has a continuous operating history that makes it the clear frontrunner. Other early contenders include The Goring (1910) and The Savoy (1889, predating The Gore by three years). The Gore, at 1892, falls into a second tier of long-established London properties that have maintained independent or boutique identities rather than joining large luxury chains.

Why age adds to the Gore’s character

For many guests, the hotel’s age is an asset. Early descriptions note that The Gore offered hot and cold running water and a hydraulic lift at a time when such features were cutting-edge, and those layers of history are visible in the building’s layout, staircases, and period details. The hotel has been under Starhotels ownership since 2014, when the Italian group paid approximately £43 million for The Gore and The Pelham, according to The Caterer.

The pattern: The Gore is old by London boutique standards but not among the city’s oldest hotels overall — its age contributes character, not a record-breaking pedigree.