French finesse meets British style in The Drawing Rooms - the luxurious heart of The Ampersand Hotel serving light bites and Afternoon Tea. Part English drawing room, part 'salon de thé', with deep sofas and studded armchairs in scarlet velvets and kingfisher blues, The Drawing Rooms are the places to enjoy delicious pastries, exceptional teas, freshly-pressed coffees and Afternoon Tea. All-day light bites also make this place popular with residents of South Kensington, as well as those who want to get together for a business meeting in a quiet corner of a discreet address. The feel is intimate yet buzzy, with sunshine pouring in through the large Victorian windows.

Adjacent to the Apero Restaurant under the Victorian brick vaults, the dignified ambience in The Wine Room is defined by its polished basalt floor and oak banqueting table, surrounded by 10 sturdy leather-bound chairs. This arrangement allows you to take over the whole room with friends, or to find yourselves sipping fine wines next to like-minded souls. This elegant room - available for Kensington private dining and wine tasting - showcases the hotel's red wine collection in an imposing floor-to-ceiling display that dominates an entire wall. On the other side, cabinets packed with curiosities reflect a Victorian passion for collecting.

The Ampersand offer a gym with the latest equipment from Technogym in the lower-ground floor space - open 24 hours to guests - including a bike, treadmill and crosstrainer with integrated digital screen, internet access and iPod dock, as well as free weights. You can also play table tennis in the games room which guests are welcome to use when it's not in use for private events. 

As Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are both nearby, running maps and access to activities such as horse-riding and roller-blading can be organised. Private trainers can also be arranged by request.

The Ampersand is a family-friendly boutique hotel, which offers a range of facilities for families travelling to London with children. The hotel's deluxe studios and suites can accommodate an additional fold away bed or larger families may want to consider an interconnecting room. The suites also come with small kitchnettes equiped with microwaves, kettle, toaster and fridge. The hotel is perfectly placed in South Kensington, close to the Natural History and Science Museums, The Royal Albert Hall, Hyde Park and Harrods, therefore, there is plenty to keep all the family entertained.

Tucked beneath the Victorian cellar arches of The Ampersand Hotel, Apero brings a shot of fresh Mediterranean style to the heart of South Kensington. Softly lit, with cool white metro tiles and exposed brick walls, Apero is an intimate, laidback restaurant in Kensington where you can catch up over a shared plate of something deliciously simple and modern. The menus are inspired by freshness and quality, by the Mediterranean's best-sourced ingredients and the region's most enduring flavours. The bar at Apero is an understated but glamorous spot to get into the ‘aperitivo' spirit with a signature cocktail or glass of wine. If the occasion requires greater privacy, the leather banquettes in the snug offer a discreet space for up to six people, which can even be curtained off by opulent drapes.