K West
Opened in 2001, K West Hotel & Spa has come to define stylish accommodation in West London with its mix of sleek rooms and luxurious in-house spa. Hilary Cross, General Manager, tells EatSleepDrink about the hotel’s rise to the top.
Just a stone’s throw away from Westfield London and a five minute walk to Shepherd’s Bush Tube Station, K West is within easy reach of all the Capital has to offer. That said, from the moment one arrives at the hotel, the warm and stylish surroundings feel like a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of city life. With 220 spacious bedrooms and suites, chic bar and organic spa, K West has unsurprisingly made itself a firm favourite of musicians, artists and media types who flock back time-and-time again for its prime location and superb facilities.
Great success
“As a former BBC building, we wanted the hotel to retain its links with the media as well as attracting people from every industry and each walk of life to come and enjoy what K West is all about,” Hilary begins by telling us. “Since opening, we have had great success with the music industry and I guess that is what we are predominantly known for; being a cool hotel in West London where you will often see musicians and artists having a drink in the bar, chilling out with our guests whilst our DJ plays some great tunes.
“Our award-winning organic Spa is also a big factor in our success,” she affirms. “Recently refurbished in 2010 to an exceptional standard, it now boasts London’s first Snow Paradise. During the work, we also introduced organic products, extensive water recycling systems and eco-friendly towel washing methods”.
As well as K West’s organic Spa, the rest of the hotel is overseen by a ‘Green Team’ that constantly search for ways to make the property more eco-friendly, whether improving efficiency or by introducing new organic beauty products for the rooms. Indeed, even the suites at K West boast organic toiletries and everything is 100 per cent chemical free. So extensive has the hotel’s so-called ‘green overhaul’ been that it was rewarded with a Silver rating in the Green Tourism Awards.
Location, location, location
Now a firmly established luxury hotel and spa, K West has seen business increase thanks to the much publicised opening of the giant Westfield shopping complex, which is just a five minute stroll away.
As Hilary continues, this is just one of K West’s many selling points. “We have a fabulous location in West London, offer great value for money and deliver friendly and accommodating service that is unfussy-yet-personal. Further to this, we also boast large bedrooms, which is rather unusual for London where space tends to be cramped at our price point.
“We market ourselves as being located in West London and Shepherd’s Bush, promoting our proximity to Westfield (a five minute walk); Notting Hill (a 15 minute walk); and Heathrow (a 20 minute cab ride),” she asserts. “It is also a major plus that we are only a 10 minute ride on the underground from Oxford Circus on the Central Line. If this wasn’t enough we are also really close to Shepherd’s Bush Empire and Hammersmith Apollo, which makes us the ideal choice for musicians and travelling fans.
“In order to encourage our guests to take full advantage of our location, we create fun and original packages that are constantly being updated and promoted on our website (www.k-west.co.uk),” Hilary confirms.
Team players
When asked about the hotel’s major strengths, Hilary was eager to stress the importance of her staff that offer personal and professional service from arrival to departure. “Our people are terrific, having been chosen for their friendliness and willingness to help make every guest’s experience of K West a great one. Our prime location and product help too, of course!
“Gastronomy and drinks are also a key part of our strategy,” she tells us. “We offer a wide variety of dishes in the hotel to cater for every taste and have also just launched a Children’s Menu to keep the little ones happy too. We make everything from fresh and serve anything from Angus beef burgers to Wild mushroom risotto with some fabulous dishes in between. That said, we are also famous for the amazing cocktails we serve – our mojitos, in particular, are incredible!”
Having experienced the contemporary menu executed by Head Chef, Eduart Berisha, at Kanteen, we can confirm Hilary’s sentiments. Mains of Chargrilled Sirloin Steak with Hand-Cut Chips, Watercress and Béarnaise (£19) and Roasted Butternut Squash, Sun Blushed Tomatoes, Pomegranate, Rocket and Shaved Pecorino Cheese (£11) were cooked and presented with aplomb. The wine list, too, was sensibly priced with the most expensive red (an excellent Rioja) topping in at £31 for the bottle.
Fit and healthy
“Refurbished in 2010, K Spa and K Fit were created to take our guests on a journey,” Hilary confirms. “So whether to relax and unwind in K Spa or to get fit and healthy at K Fit, we have created a wonderful environment to help our guests reach their goals. In addition to this, we are very proud of our environmental policy which encompasses all of our operations, particularly those in K Spa. We currently hold a Silver Award with Green Tourism and we are trying to achieve the Gold, so watch this space!”
Changing tack, we were curious to find out more about K West’s approach to marketing, particularly in the build up to the London 2012 Olympics. “We are actually almost fully booked for the Olympics, with a small allocation confirmed to LOCOG and the rest offered to our top companies who have supported us over the last few years.
“I think that we have firmly established ourselves as a cool place to be whether for drinks or accommodation,” she affirms. “Indeed, I would say that many of our return guests keep coming back because of our staff, our innate style, the K Spa and the Bar – all of which make the hotel an ideal choice for business or pleasure.
“I have just spent three weeks staying in the hotel and have loved watching how our guests and our staff interact and engage,” Hilary concludes by explaining. “For me, the ideal experience is my experience…That our guests and our staff both feel K West Hotel & Spa is their second home, just as I do”.
Having kindly accommodated EatSleepDrink in an Executive room with its huge Superking bed and sleek bathroom, we can confirm the veracity of Hilary’s sentiments. And given the hotel’s prime location, stylish accommodation and eco-friendly ethos, we’re predicting another successful decade for K West Hotel & Spa.
Visit: www.k-west.co.uk for more information and reservations. Rates start from £129 per night.
Twitter: @kwesthotel
Facebook: www.facebook.com/KWestHotel
