Crowne Plaza London - Kingston
A 121-room IHG hotel on the Thames between Kingston and Surbiton, with river-facing executive rooms, a fitness centre, and on-site dining including Its Thecha, a Maharashtrian restaurant. The most practical large hotel option in the area.
At a Glance
Stay Here If...
...you want a reliable, well-connected base with river views and enough rooms that availability is rarely a problem
The Practical Choice
The Crowne Plaza is the largest hotel in the Kingston-Surbiton area by a considerable margin. At 121 rooms, it’s the one place where availability is rarely an issue — useful for visitors booking late or for groups who need multiple rooms. It’s an IHG-brand property, which means the experience is predictable in the way that international chain hotels are: consistent, professional, no surprises.
The building — Kingston Tower on Portsmouth Road — sits on the riverbank between Kingston and Surbiton, giving it a Thames-side position that some executive rooms make the most of with balconies and river views. The location is slightly removed from both town centres, sitting along the main road rather than in the heart of either neighbourhood.
The Rooms
Standard rooms are functional and well-maintained. The executive rooms with Thames-facing balconies are worth the upgrade — the river view lifts the experience from business hotel to something more memorable. Request a high floor if river views matter to you.
On-Site Dining
The hotel hosts Its Thecha, a Maharashtrian restaurant that’s become a destination in its own right. The Kolhapuri and Malvani coastal dishes offer something you won’t find elsewhere in Southwest London — this isn’t a generic hotel restaurant, it’s a regional Indian specialist that happens to be inside a Crowne Plaza. We’ve reviewed it separately on Kingston Compass.
Getting Around
The hotel sits on Portsmouth Road (A307), which connects Kingston and Esher. Surbiton station — with its fast 17-minute trains to Waterloo — is about a 10-minute walk. Kingston town centre is 20 minutes on foot or a short bus ride. The Thames Path passes right outside, connecting to riverside pubs in both directions.
Parking is available on-site at around ten pounds per day, first come first served.
Who This Hotel Suits
Business travellers and conference attendees will find this the most practical option — it has meeting rooms, reliable facilities, and the brand consistency that corporate travel policies favour. Families benefit from the room count (availability) and accessible rooms. Visitors who want a known quantity with a riverside setting and don’t need boutique charm.
Less suited if you’re after character or walkable dining — the Portsmouth Road location means you’ll want to factor in a short bus ride or taxi to reach the best restaurants and pubs in Kingston or Surbiton proper.
Amenities
On-Site Dining
Its Thecha
Maharashtrian restaurant inside the hotel, bringing Kolhapuri fire, Malvani coastal flavours, and Mumbai street food to Southwest London.
Read our full review
