As we were attending Rugby at Twickenham we decided at the last minute to find accomodation for the Friday & Saturday nights. The choice was quite limited and we thought the Kingston Lodge looked okay and would be a good base. On arriving we were pleasantly surprised, it was especially welcoming with open fires and festive decorations. We found that the room rate was less than we had anticipated, £75 for Friday and £100 for Sat, Bed & Breakfast. The room was nicely decorated (but getting a bit tired round the edges) and equiped with TV, CD Player and Water/Tea/Coffee making facilities. Once we had dropped our bags in our room we went into the bar for a quick drink before going out, the hot chocolate was undrinkable and my partner felt the Guiness was not quite right either.
The location is good, about 20mins walk (downhill) to the huge variety of shops in Kingston, or there is a bus stop outside the hotel which runs 24hrs. We tried the Thai restaurant about 10mins walk towards town which was good and on the Saturday we we to the Indian next door which really was superb.
One big complaint was the hotels failure to book a taxi as requested for the rugby and they were not apologetic. Twickenham was about 20mins drive and £20 in a taxi. I think this hotel was fair and the rate we paid very appropriate for adequate service on the whole - If the rate was tipping over the £100 mark I think the hotels in Richmond would serve you better for just a few more pounds.

I often work in Kingston-upon-Thames and over the years have stayed in most of the local hotels (of which there are surprisingly few). Of all I'd say that The Kingston Lodge is my favourite!

Alternative places to stay include very average B&Bs, a Travel Lodge, The Antoinette Hotel and a few 'gastro pubs' which are a litttle small and quite pricey

The location of The Kingston Lodge is a little out of town - about a twenty minute downhill walk from the town centre, although a regular bus service from right outside runs every 15 minutes or so.

Within a ten minute walk are a few local restaurants... a Thai on the left whose name I don't recall, Cafe Rouge and also a Domino Pizza. At the roundabout, fork right and check out the Norbiton Dragon Pub for a local pint. Not to be missed is the Thai restaurant adjoining, a bit of a local secret!!!

Further down the very ordinary looking road on the left, you'll find Lala's Pizza Restaurant together with a Chinese and along the way are a few local pubs. Kingston Town Centre with its famous riverside are only another five minutes walk away.

I should mention that in the other direction (up the hill towards London) is Richmond Park with it's long walks and free roaming deer, not to mention a golf driving range.

Of previous reviews I would say that their tone somewhat negative. A credit card deposit is normal in most hotels these days and I personally have never been overcharged at The Kingston Lodge.

This is a 'local hotel' and yes, it does play host to wedding receptions during the summer months (as do most British hotels). Therefore you may find that the bar can become busy and occasionally the parties can go on till late, but overall this is a pleasant hotel in a nice suburb of London.

The rooms are traditionally furnished (in a regency repro style), of medium size and of pleasantly decorated.

Travel time to the centre of London is about 45 minutes by bus or train (no tube in Kingston). Nearby attractions include the Thorpe Park and Chessington theme parks; together with Hampton Court and Wisley Gardens for those who enjoy history and horticulture. Windsor Castle and Lego Land are about 45 minutes away.

I hope you enjoy your stay,

Paul Driver

We stayed for two nights on a bed, breakfast and dinner basis. Overall the hotel was average with the food quite good. However the management failed entirely where finances were concerned. On arrival we were asked to present a credit card to be debited with £40, on the basis that if we spent any extras it would come off the £40. If we did not spend anything then the £40 would not be debited. Do not take up this option, pay as you go, as we had one item debited to our account after we had left the hotel. The hotel staff could not comprehend how the cost of dinner would be charged as we had pre-paid. This caused us problems on both evenings partly due to the poor standard of english spoken by the waitresses.

Stayed two nights in this hotel, the room was okay, carpet a bit worn but everything else was fine. The breakfast was very good, the restaurant overlooked the courtyard, very pleasant. The staff excellent, friendly and quick to serve you. Didn't have an evening meal the first night, went into Kingston but the second night thought we would. What a mistake, a wedding party was being held. All we could get was a Bar Snack, The wedding party filled all the restaurant and bar, very noisy and disruptive. There was no warning about the restuarant not being available beforehand. We were fortunate that our room 203 overlooked the car park in front of the hotel, anybody that had a room overlooking the courtyard would have had no chance for a quiet night. If you are going to stay here double check that there is not going to be a wedding party taking place, the hotel itself is good value for money overall and would stay there again, but not if a wedding party is being held.