Student Accommodation Near Imperial College: South Kensington and White City

Imperial has two main campuses, and they pull you in different directions. Most undergraduates are taught at South Kensington, on Exhibition Road. White City, about three miles west on Wood Lane, is the newer campus, with a growing share of research and postgraduate courses. Medicine adds hospital sites as well, including St Mary’s in Paddington.

Rooms near South Kensington are scarce and expensive, so for most students the realistic answer is a short commute. These are the rooms we can offer, with door-to-door times from the TfL journey planner on a weekday morning.

The Hyde Park residence is a large Georgian townhouse near Lancaster Gate, just north of Kensington Gardens. It’s about 28 minutes to Exhibition Road by bus. If the weather’s kind, you can walk straight across the park instead, past the Albert Memorial, in about 25 minutes. Breakfast and a three-course dinner are included every day, which first-year students tend to appreciate more than they expect. Most rooms share a bathroom on the floor: there are singles, twins, triples and four-bed rooms, plus a few en-suites. Paddington is a short walk away, which helps if you’re placed at St Mary’s.

The Notting Hill residence on Ladbroke Road is also about 28 minutes away. Walk to Notting Hill Gate, take the Circle line three stops to South Kensington, then head up Exhibition Road. It’s hostel-style, with single, twin, triple and dorm rooms, shared bathrooms, a gym and a cinema room. Portobello Road is a couple of minutes from the door, and our Notting Hill guide covers the rest of the area.

The North Acton residence is directly opposite North Acton station. White City is two stops away on the Central line, about 20 minutes door to door. The rooms are single en-suites in flats of up to eight people who share a big kitchen, and bedding is provided.

The Acton residence is even quicker, at around 18 minutes on one bus. Every room is a studio with a compact double bed and its own kitchenette, and the building has a gym, a café and study rooms. Our Acton guide has more on the neighbourhood.

The Portobello residence sits between the two campuses: about 24 minutes to White City by bus and around 43 to South Kensington. It’s a small building of studios from around 16 m², with a gym and a screening room, and a free shuttle runs to Westbourne Park and Notting Hill Gate stations.

At South Kensington and happy not to cook? Hyde Park. At White City and want your own bathroom? Acton or North Acton. If you don’t know yet where most of your teaching will be, Notting Hill is about half an hour from each campus.

There’s no fee and no obligation. Send us your dates and tell us which campus you’re on. We confirm availability with the residence and normally reply within the working day with the room, the weekly rate and the total. Short stays are fine too, whether it’s a summer research placement or a few weeks before your main accommodation starts. How booking works has the details.

Prices change through the year. The cards below show today’s rate for each residence.