The hotel had the charm of an English Country Inn yet its on the fringe of London.
The major thought we took away with us from our 2-night stay was the friendly staff - always smiling. Apparently the general manager has only been there a couple of months as has clearly chosen some good new staff.
The room was adequate in size (typical UK), clean bright and with all the required facilities. Only downside was that the TV was too large !! Worth noting that if there is a party in the function room, it can be a little noisy until midnight.
The lounge/bar area allowed for small intimate parties as well as larger groups - the bar area dates back to the 1600's.
The restaurant food was absolutely superb - that chef knows how to present quality English food to perfection and wine prices are reasonable.
We will be back.

We stayed for one night while attending an event in the hotel. The staff were helpful and the room fine. It's not perfect (worn carpet, dirty iron and ironing board, etc.) but the minor problems didn't distract from an enjoyable stay. The best feature was that our room was a good size, and above our expectations (like a lot of people we've had too many poor experiences in boxy rip-off hotels - a feature of travelling in the UK). We took our six week old baby with us, and the room was just fine - lots of space for a crib and a very comfortable bed for tired adults. We paid £85 midweek (including cooked breakfast which we had served in our room), and I think better deals are available, but we would happily stay again.

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