The Kensington Hotel: A boutique choice for Ann Arbor travelers
This past weekend, I was in Ann Arbor for the Cinetopia Film Festival, which continues this week in both Ann Arbor and Royal Oak, and was fortunate to stay at The Kensington Hotel. The Kensington is located near I-94 and is right near Briarwood Mall, which meant it was a quick 10-minute drive to UM's campus.
The hotel has been recently renovated, I believe in 2016, and you can tell: its lobby is bright and modern, and my pictures don't do it justice as to how pretty it is.
I arrived in Ann Arbor on a Friday afternoon, after an exhausting 1 hour and 45 minute drive from Clawson—normally it only takes about 50-60 minutes to get to Ann Arbor, but between 4pm rush hour traffic and a few accidents along the way, it took FOREVER. Upon check-in, I was offered water and/or a glass of champagne, which was a thoughtful gesture, and which from Yelp seems standard at the Kensington.
The hotel has three floors, and my room was in the "Executive" area of the third floor; at the time, I didn't really know what that meant. When you exit the elevators, and turn left, you have to insert your keycard to access this area, the reason being is that a complimentary light breakfast is served every day and you also have access to sodas and water 24/7, which was fantastic. I believe they do a happy hour, at least on weekdays, as well, in that same room—I took a peek at it my first night there, but I was heading out to the film fest so I didn't stop to partake in it.
The only SLIGHT downside to this that I experienced was that my room was actually next to the breakfast room, so in the mornings it was a little loud in the hallway; I could only hear this when I was near the door, though, not when I was in bed.
My room came equipped with a pull-out couch, a microwave, and a fridge, which was very useful. I also had a beautiful view of the courtyard, where they sometimes hold weddings.
The toiletries provided (lotion and hand soap - the rest are already in the shower) are Beekman brand, and were very nice. The hotel also has free wifi throughout the property, as well as an indoor heated pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna, which unfortunately I didn't have time to use this visit; I'm told it's the biggest hotel pool in Ann Arbor.
The room also had some very nice Ann Arbor-themed decor throughout. The bathroom is set up so that there is a door between the toilet and shower area (bath/shower combo) and the sink area, which is nice if one person needs to use those while another wants to prep for the day.
Overall, I would definitely stay here again. Both the bed (king-sized) and the duvet were very comfortable, and I had a nice night's sleep during my entire stay. The Kensington earns its name as a "boutique" hotel for all of the little touches that it has, too; I noticed that the hotel had towels and cold water for its jogger guests available in the lobby, as well as that water and champagne I mentioned upon check-in.
I took Lyft to downtown Ann Arbor both Friday and Saturday, and it's only $10 each way. You could also drive (10-minute drive) and park in a parking structure or find street parking.
I didn't have time to try its restaurant, rel-ish, this time, either, but the menu looked great, and I see that they're listed as an Ann Arbor Restaurant Week participant for next month (June 2019) too.
Have you ever stayed in a boutique hotel before? If so, what was your favorite amenity?
The Kensington Hotel is located at 3500 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48018, and can be reached at (866) 553-0434 for reservations.
