London Hotels near Victoria and Albert Museum

The Victoria & Albert Museum Guide

The V&A has a seven mile layout spread over six levels. The main floor, houses the China, Japan, and South Asia galleries, as well as the Fashion Gallery and the Cast Courts. The British Galleries are on levels two and four. Level three contains the 20th century design. The textile galleries are in the far northwestern corner of this floor. The glass display is also on level four. The Henry Cole Wing houses the Education Centre, RIBA Architecture Study Rooms, and the Prints and Drawings Study Rooms.

The Victoria & Albert Museum History

Originally founded in 1852 as the Museum of Manufactures to inspire design students, it was renamed by Queen Victoria in 1899 in memory of Prince Albert. The museum is undergoing a dramatic redisplay of much of its collection, including the redesign of the garden, sculpture galleries, and main shop. To find out if a particular gallery will be open, call the bookings office at 020-7942 2211.

Hours and Admission

The Museum is open daily from 10am – 5:45pm and 10am – 10pm Wednesday and last Friday of every month. It is closed only on Christmas holiday. Admission is free. Free introductory and British Gallery tours run every hour from 10:30am until 3:30pm daily. They gather in the Meeting Point in the Grand Entrance.

Hotel Accommodations

The Cranley Hotel, located in South Kensington, provides a quiet, charming location to stay near museums and shopping. With beautiful suites and guest rooms available, and helpful pleasant staff, the Cranley Hotel is a good choice when seeing the sights of London.