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Afternoon tea at The Milestone Hotel

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Afternoon tea at The Milestone Hotel. Coprright Gretta Schifano

The best hotel in the UK?

The Milestone Hotel is opposite London’s Kensington Gardens in a 19th century Grade II listed building. In January the Milestone was voted the best UK Hotel in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards and I went there for a tour and afternoon tea with a group of fellow BritMums travel bloggers.

The building was originally two town houses and perhaps because it began life as a home the 5-star hotel feels welcoming, intimate and cosy. In the public areas the traditional decor is in the style of an English country house with open fires, squishy armchairs and wood panelling.

Each of the hotel’s bedrooms and apartments is decorated and furnished differently. One room I saw has a floral, almost Laura Ashley feel, another was opulent with golden furniture and marble-topped tables. One of the hotel owners, Mrs Bea Tollman, designs the interiors and sources the furnishings and art work herself. This makes for a quirky and individual feel which contrasts with the minimalist interiors of some luxury hotels.

There’s a relaxed and friendly atmosphere at the hotel and I imagine it would be a great place to stay with children. Kensington Palace, the V&A, Science and Natural History Museums are all nearby and the hotel has a small indoor resistance pool. There are family rooms, interconnecting rooms and apartments available in the hotel.

The Milestone hotel lounge. Copyright Gretta Schifano

The Milestone hotel lounge. Copyright Gretta Schifano

 

Afternoon tea

Fabrizio Russo, the hotel’s genial Director of food and beverages, organised a wonderful afternoon tea for us and explained that everything except the bread is made at the hotel. I drank decaf English breakfast tea and ate delicate sandwiches of egg and cress, cucumber, and salmon followed by the yummiest cakes. Some of the cakes are unique to the hotel because they were invented by Bea Tollman. There was caramel popcorn in meringue with chocolate ganache, chocolate torte with chocolate-covered space dust, a delicate cheesecake, eclairs and some others that I couldn’t fit in, all served on pretty china cake stands. My favourite part was the freshly baked scones with jam and Devonshire clotted cream. Children are welcome at the hotel for afternoon tea too, and if you book this in advance they can even go into the pastry kitchen to see how afternoon tea is prepared and to decorate their own cupcake. This would be a great thing to do after a trip to one of the museums or to Kensington Palace.

Giveaway

I came away from the hotel with this cute little teddy and a bar of milk chocolate which I’m going to give away:

The Milestone Hotel teddy and chocolate giveaway

The Milestone Hotel teddy and chocolate giveaway

So what’s your favourite thing to eat for afternoon tea? If you live in the UK and you’d like to win this teddy and chocolate then tell me what’s your favourite teatime treat in the comments section below and then enter via this Rafflecopter widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The lowdown

I was a guest of The Milestone Hotel for afternoon tea. Afternoon tea costs £36.50 for adults and £12.50 for Princes and Princesses tea for children under 12, including cupcake decorating. Tea is served at 1pm, 3pm and 5pm and you need to book in advance.


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About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

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Comments

  21. Natalie Gillham says

    I like so many foods that it varies, and depends on the weather. If it’s a cold day a good soup with crusty bread is nice and on a hot day a ceasar salad 🙂

    Reply

  32. Georgia Keogh says

    My favourite thing to eat for afternoon tea would be scones with clotted cream and jam (I think I should have afternoon tea more often!)

    Reply

  50. elaine stokes says

    I love anything that’s full of fresh cream and full of calories!!!!!!! cream horns and scones yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy

    Reply

  53. tobys proud mummy toys says

    I am a big fan of traditional high tea so I love fresh fruit scones with clotted cream from devon and delicious homemade strawberry jam xxx yummy xxx

    Reply

  100. Sarah scoulding says

    I have jusr discovered chocokate hit cross buns if u fill them with chocokate spead then put in iven fir a few minutes is a naughty but lush treat all washed down by a nuce strong cup if tea…….heaven

    Reply

  123. jenny says

    Well it would have to be plain chocolate digestives ( unfortunately not available in Fossano Italy) and a cup of proper English tea!

    Reply

  130. Karen Usher says

    Favourite thing to eat – Something naughty of course! Some kind of cake, hot choc with marshmellows and cream! lol, this list could go on and on and on!

    Reply

  148. Pamela says

    Afternoon tea in a hotel with dainty sandwiches, warm scones with jam and cream plus delicious fancy cakes. My choice of tea would be either lavender tea, Earl Grey tea, Lady Grey tea or Caramel tea.

    Reply

  171. Phil Morris says

    Has to be the sandwiches. So delicate. So well presented. Even if you took the trouble to do it for yourself, the ambience of a top class London hotel would still be missing ! Afternoon teas of this quality cannot be experienced in your own home. Such a treat !!

    Reply

  194. Hazel Hulson says

    Love a sandwich and home made scones made by myself and jam and a piece of chocolate lovely prize love the teddy x

    Reply

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This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.