Local Insight & Information
From rags to riches is very much the story of Notting Hill. Once a rundown area commonly connected to pigs and pig farmers, today’s Notting Hill is very affluent and home to many famous faces including Stella McCartney, Robbie Williams and David and Victoria Beckham. Still a heavily residential area for those who can afford it, there are many beautiful unspoilt parks and stunning Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian structures within the area, many of which have recently been converted in to luxury office space, including some unique serviced offices to rent.
The most popular Notting Hill market, named Portobello Market after the road on which it stands, is an extremely popular place with tourists and locals alike. Saturday’s draw most crowds and this is when the best and most rare items from clothing to pottery can be hunted out. The market travels nearly a kilometre down the road and provides almost endless variety in merchandise. The alternate side of Notting Hill displays the wealth and extreme parallels which can be witnessed across the area. This location has some of the most luxurious hotels and restaurants in all of London; The Portobello Hotel is one such indulgent establishment which has seen many a famous name in the world of music, show business and fashion throughout its time. The two converted Neo-Classical mansions which make up the hotel offer flamboyancy and lavish eccentricity in décor and experience.

Elegant restaurants are just as easy to come by within Notting Hill as the hotels; if wining and dining clients is a part of your business then they will be nothing less than impressed with the sophisticated Chakra Indian restaurant. Tranquil and luscious in décor the interior is covered in shades of vanilla cream and chocolate brown and adorned with beautiful chandeliers. The Chakra name comes from the Chakras within the body which are energy points thought to push the flow of positive energy through the body; the chefs here aim to recreate a similar experience with the spices and flavours within their dishes.
Key Transport Links
Travelling to and from the serviced office space in Notting Hill is made as simple as possible with an extensive range of transport supplying the area. The closest tube station from the centre of Notting Hill is Holland Park providing links to the Central line within a six minute walk. Notting Hill Gate is only a 9 minute walk from the centre which connects with the Circle and District lines also and Ladbroke Grove is only two minutes further for the Hammersmith & City line. There is also a very popular bus route throughout the locality and Shepherd’s Bush Railway Station is only a 15 minute walk from any office you rent in this area.
More on Location
Notting Hill is possibly best known for, if not the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant film, the Notting Hill Carnival which takes place every year over the August bank holiday weekend. The streets are lined with elaborate floats and over 50,000 performers wearing some of the most colourful costumes even known. There are more than 30 sound systems positioned within the quirky side streets which break away from the busiest sections of the parade, playing the amazing sounds of steal bands and calypso music. First held in 1964 the event was an offshoot of the original Trinidad Carnival which each year has grown and grown to see over 1 million people coming to celebrate Caribbean culture in recent years.

Mention of the Notting Hill film brings me to the next attraction of the area. Directed by Richard Curtis and released in 1999 the movie was a huge success at the box office and gave millions of viewers a romantic view of London’s Notting Hill. With the film being mainly set in and around the area many tourists flocked to the location to feel the passion of the main characters for themselves and so began the Notting Hill film tour. As well as seeing some of the famous locations integral to the film, the tour also provides the chance to learn about the history of the area.