Name: The Kensington Hotel
Address: 3500 South State Street, Briarwood, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, US
Price range: $122–$680 per night
Rating: 8.5

What guests think

Across recent reviews, The Kensington Hotel is praised for friendly, accommodating staff and a large indoor pool and hot tub, while repeated critiques cite dated rooms with small bathrooms, low ceilings, and intermittent maintenance or HVAC issues.

Many guests also like the convenient location near I-94, Briarwood Mall, and the University of Michigan. Cleanliness feedback is mixed, with numerous mentions of clean rooms alongside reports of musty odors, dust, pests, and occasional housekeeping lapses. Dining at the on-site restaurant is often enjoyed, though hours can be limited, coffee is not complimentary, and quality or speed varies. Expect a welcoming stay with solid amenities in an older property.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Guests praise the large indoor pool and hot tub, and note a basic gym; the sauna’s reliability is inconsistent. The on-site restaurant/bar is convenient, though hours or closures occur, and occasional maintenance issues and event parking challenges are noted.

Related guest reviews

10

Roy

Jul 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice hotel. Staff was great. Really enjoyed the pool.

6

Gary

Nov 6, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Friendly staff and decent room.The pool was clean and large . The DOWNSIDE of the stay was the hot tube was not working and the dry sauna was warm at 98-99 degrees. This was very disappointing, I would have chose to stay at another location due to this.

8

Daniel

Jul 20, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Nice enough hotel with a good gym, pool and hot tub. Sauna was not working. Restaurant was good. Room was clean and comfortable. Bathroom needs upgrade. Would stay again if price was right, but would not pay a premium to stay there.

8

michelle

Feb 25, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Pool is in need of major deep clean and renovation but it felt overall alright to swim in. Pretty good old scum line around the pool but we swam for hours and the water was clear. The sauna works great but you have to turn it on. Follow directions on it. Hot tub decent. Room and bathroom were very clean. Priced very reasonable. Breakfast portions were huge and everything breakfast should be. Salmon bagel platter and fresh fruit were excellent and above what was expected. Kids meals were very reasonably priced. Front desk was friendly. Restaurant staff was friendly.

2

Kyle

Jan 20, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

200 unchaperoned high students not being held accountable by hotel staff. Doors slamming and people running up and down the halls the entire night. Unacceptable; especially when you book the upgraded room to stay in the executive section.

10

Kathryn

Apr 17, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

wonderful stay at the Hotel Kensington! My new go-to place for a hotel in A2. The onsite restaurant is of amazing quality. Get the Lake Superior whitefish for dinner and the goat cheese frittata for breakfast! Wonderful coffee too, although you are just five five-minute drive away from ZIngerman's bakehouse as an alternative for a good cup of joe. You can't go wrong with a stay here - very comfortable and great service. Lovely lobby area for getting a little work done too.

10

allison

Apr 13, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice pool! Hall ways are nice and quiet!

10

SARAH

Sep 29, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Had a lot of amenities. Too bad the sauna wasn’t hot. Overall, a great stay. Very clean and convenient.

8

Susan

Sep 12, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff very friendly. Facilities very clean. Hot tub was out of order maybe? Wasn’t very hot. Pool was very nice… Bathroom was very small.

10

Amanda

Oct 17, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Beautiful lobby, spectacular pool!

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Feedback is mixed: many find rooms and public areas clean, but others report musty odors, dust, pests, stained fixtures, and inconsistent housekeeping.

Related guest reviews

6

Jodi

Jul 16, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

For the price it was okay. It was not the cleanest hotel and there was a gap in the door to the hallway. You could also hear people. The bed was comfortable so that was a plus.

8

Dorthy

Sep 17, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Went for a Work conference Property was lovely, but my room smelled musty & air vents were filthy.

6

Christy

Jun 25, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Hotel is old and not clean. My feet were black from walking on carpet in room. Hallway carpet looks like it has been vacuumed or steam cleaned in a long time. Overall cleanliness was poor. Won’t be staying here again.

8

Michael

Jul 18, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was great. The room was fine. Except for the rollaway bed that was left in the room I did not request. Bathroom was clean but I found a live roach bug on the floor and soap stuck to the soap shelf in the shower.

10

Brigette

Aug 24, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property was very clean and the employees were nice and polite. The rooms were very comfortable and we had no problems.

2

Maylia

Oct 26, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Paid around $250/night just to crash for one singular night after a friend’s wedding. Absurd of a price enough as it is (especially because there was no continental breakfast) but it was also disgusting. I felt so wildly uncomfortable. I went to heat up a mac & cheese cup for a late night snack and was APPALLED to see (and smell) and plate of extremely moldy pizza rotting in said microwave. This type of mold does not happen after a couple of days. The amount of mold accumulated happens after weeks. The smell made me gag and lingered in my room the rest of the night. Before heading down to the lobby to search for a different microwave I spotted something crinkled up on the floor of my room. Upon further inspection I saw that it was a dirty, USED women’s panty liner. When I went to the lobby I very kindly made the lady aware of these things and asked her to make sure I would not get charged a cleaning fee for this. She apologized and that was it. I tried to relax and unwind in bed but found myself wondering what other cleaning may have been overlooked and felt uneasy. The next morning I stopped at the front desk again and spoke to a different lady to once again make sure I wouldn’t get charged and to make her aware of these things. She apologized and said it was unacceptable. I left the hotel frustrated that I was never offered a new room or a partial refund or even a voucher of any sort. I kind of wish I had just slept in my car and saved $250.

4

Patrice

Jun 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

This hotel had an unpleasant smell in the hallways and in the room. The room I stayed in had dust around the door lock, dirt in the bathroom light, dust on the bathroom fan and the shade had food stains. The amount of flying insects and spiders in the room made the stay more unpleasant. Some staff were customer friendly, but most were not esp the gentleman at the front desk. When I called down to request a late check out, he told me I could not check out late as check out is at 11am. I replied your website and this text message I just received informs me there is an option to check out late and either request on the website or concat the front desk for assistance. His reply… oh you want to do that…it would be $50. I replied I know, then he proceeds to say I’ll mark you down. He obviously knew that was an option but he told me “I can’t do that”…very frustrating. Definitely will not stay there again.

6

Armin

Sep 2, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Average hotel. First room they gave us was dirty with wet towels all over the room. Second room was ok but despite our specific request for our room to be cleaned by housekeeping, the room was never cleaned. In addition, the room and bathroom are quite dated and in need renovations. With the exception of the lobby area, the hotel appears old and dated.

8

David

Nov 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Room clean and neat

10

Rachel

Oct 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Clean room a good space

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Rooms tend to be dated with small bathrooms and low ceilings; some layouts face interior corridors or have limited views, and noise can carry through thin walls. Beds are often comfortable, but outlets, Wi-Fi, or controls can feel basic.

Related guest reviews

8

Kevin

Aug 13, 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

We had a wedding reception here 15 years ago. The wall paper and other superficial things have been updated but the overall hotel feels dated. Small rooms and small bathroom. Probably many other better options for the price.

6

Deborah

Sep 18, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The bed was comfortable the room was quiet. The electric outlets on the lamps were worn out leaving too few to accommodate our needs.

6

Joseph

Nov 2, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Old, cramped, few outlets, intermittent unpleasant smell. Staff was friendly.

8

Eric

Jul 22, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Older hotel with redone areas and rooms. Not tall friendly hallways are about 6.5ft. Toilets are old and small. But ac works like a champ.

6

james

Mar 18, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I stayed for two nights. First night was great and quiet. Second night was the opposite until 1am on a Tuesday. The connecting doors between rooms are thin and you can hear EVERYTHING through them. Just normal talking is extremely audible and just ruined the second night for me. Friendly staff, room was clean, and it’s close to UM campus, a mall, as well as the highway. It was not the worst stay I’ve had, and it wasn’t the best. It is average with some upsides. Would return if there was a good price for a room and take my chances with noisy neighbors.

6

Michael

Aug 27, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

So check-in was great. Room was clean and in good shape, but beds were soft and lighting was a little less than you would normally habe. When I went to open drapes for more.light, it revealed a full doorwall overlooking an interior hallway, not the outside. This was extremely strange for a 1st floor room and should be told to guests on check in.

6

Alane

Aug 22, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great place. Internet sucked. Beds were uncomfortable.

8

Tracy

Apr 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The overall stay was very good. The only drawback was not having the option to control the room temperature or fan. I had to have a fan delivered for air circulation.

6

MICHEL

Feb 3, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The room was below average. The hotel was not crowded yet we got a room with no view whatsoever looking into a roof that almost touched.

6

Kristina

Jul 19, 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Booked a 2 bed for 2 nights. You can tell its an older hotel, not as spacious as “modern” hotels are. Everything was working though. Clean. Beds were a bit smaller than usual. Felt like two full size beds, not really queen or king size. Smaller bathroom. Elevator felt really tiny. Staff were friendly. Clean gym, nice pool. Im just a fan of spacious rooms, so wasnt my favorite, but not the worse hotel either.

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Service

Service is frequently praised as friendly and accommodating, with smooth check-ins and thoughtful touches like a champagne welcome. A minority experienced reservation mix-ups, double charges, or curt responses.

Related guest reviews

10

Hunter

Apr 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Great service and stay! Left my Apple Watch in my room after checking out and the housekeeping team returned it!

10

Briana

Oct 8, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The staff was so courteous anytime I interacted with them and the welcome glass of champagne was a nice touch. The room was lovely and comfortable. Could not recommend this place more!

6

Micchan

Jun 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice pool. Room was okay, not the cleanest. Low ceiling. The front desk person double charged me when the room was already paid in full on Expedia. This was corrected after I called and complained. Pay extra attention!

10

Kristi

Jul 10, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

William made me feel welcome and special right from the start! Property is clean, lovely, and has all the amenities I need. Bed was comfortable, evening was quiet, and cup of tea before bed was just what I needed after a busy work day. Thank you!

6

Irene

Mar 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The front desk staff was very helpful on the phone when I called the day before. However, the person who checked us in on the day was somewhat snotty and unfriendly. Answered my questions with “short” answers and didn’t crack even a half smile once. I was exhausted at 7 am after having flown all night, and a bit more grace would’ve been nice. When I asked them if there could possibly be someone to help us with our luggage, for example, they said stone-faced, “no, but there are carts over there,” making me feel as if they thought I was entitled for merely asking the question kindly.

10

Lauren

Sep 3, 2025

·

Stayed 5 nights

This was my second stay. The hotel is wonderful. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Rooms clean. Great hotel.

10

kimberly

Jun 4, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff is always super friendly and helpful.

10

Crimson

Jun 14, 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

The staff was amazing and super accommodating. Especially the man named William who worked at the front. The hotel was clean and comfortable!

10

kimberly

Jun 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Staff are always very professional here. It was busy when I arrived and at least one staff member was clearly tired but she remained respectful and even helped me out in getting the room I wanted (away from the road noise.). Very much appreciated!

2

Sigrid

Jul 8, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I want to preface that we usually love staying at this property. But it was probably the worst hotel experience I've had. The check-in couldn't find our reservation, they blamed Expedia. They gave us the wrong room. We booked for two nights so we could sleep in and we're barged in by the hotel staff saying we didn't have two nights booked, then called to go downstairs to sort things out. Once I went down there they had miraculously found the two night reservation. On top of this they charged my credit card twice and I am still working to get that figured out. Felt like they were blaming us for the issues and acted unprofessionally in multiple areas.

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Location

Conveniently located by I-94 and Briarwood Mall, with an easy drive to the University of Michigan and area dining. Not especially walkable to campus; event days can make parking tougher.

Related guest reviews

10

Michelle

Sep 30, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Have stayed here many times. It is always clean, staff are friendly and the location is great.

8

Peter

Aug 17, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

THe hotel was close to shopping and downtown

10

Nicole

Mar 31, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Good location to umich and briarwood mall. 2 min to freeway and 3 min to food groc target and rest. Close to everything like Home Depot Trader Joe’s Ross, neijiers etc

10

Nicole

Apr 11, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

love the kensington. very convenient area super close to freeway (80). also 10-15 min from umich. prefer to stay in this area as driving is less stressful than umich area. good value for the money at $120 per night. staff is super nice and lobby is pretty. rooms are nice and beds are comfy. will def stay there again. have stayed there 3 times already. for game day... you can park off main street and walk if you dont mind a 30 min walk. there is an apt complex there that we park at. go down eisenhower to state st then turn right and apt complex will be 1-3 blocks on left.

8

Scott

Jun 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Property was clean and welcoming. Pool area was nice, and well maintained. Location is very central to highway and shopping:

10

Dave

Mar 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed here many time. 5 minutes from downtown…..easy Uber.

10

Cheryl

May 23, 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Convenient area

8

John

Sep 16, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Easy access from I-94

10

Heather

Mar 25, 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Friendly staff and great location

8

Allison J

Oct 28, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Nice basic hotel for a 3 star. The entrance and lobby are refreshingly modern and the champagne welcome is a lovely amenity. However, the room furniture and bathroom could be greatly improved. The $75 pet fee is a bit steep for one night - compared to $20/night at other 3 star hotels. Parking was very challenging due to a football game but we made it work.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

The on-site restaurant and breakfast draw many compliments for taste and convenience. However, coffee isn’t complimentary, hours can be limited or closed on some days, and occasional reports note mediocre dishes or delays.

Related guest reviews

8

William

Jul 4, 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I didn’t like the fact that the restaurant was not open on Sundays or Mondays. I choose you on the fact there was a restaurant attached to the hotel

10

darlene

Feb 28, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything about this hotel was top notch. The pool was great. The staff was extremely polite, friendly, and helpful. The breakfast was delicious.

6

Gayleen

Sep 11, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property and especially the room smed like mold and wet dog. Relish food is only warmed food for dinner. Breakfast was better. Front Desk clerk Cade was wonderful at his job. Unfortunately we probably will not stay again.

8

Mercedes

Jun 5, 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Beautiful and peaceful with a large pool, hot tub, and sauna. The staff was helpful and friendly. Small touches such as water and complimentary champagne at check-in were nice. Comfortable beds with good blackout curtains and quiet hallways. Outdoor seating areas did not have a fire pit per the picture shown. Book stay for 60th birthday on Memorial Day. Planned to have drinks and snacks and then a birthday breakfast at the restaurant. We were NEVER told that it was closed both early the evening before the holiday AND the holiday. Not at registration, nor at check-in. Ruined meal plans for the birthday celebration. The alternative breakfast sandwich was disgusting.

10

Thomas

Nov 11, 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

The property and room were very nice. The Relish Restaurant/lounge was nice as well. Bartender was attentive and would carry on a conversation with you. The only thing I would say is that when we were leaving they had a coffee station and some stuff set up (it was early about 6:30am) I grabbed a coffee to go and the gentleman at the front desk charged me for my coffee. Said it wasn’t free

10

Briana

Mar 2, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The lobby area is elegant and inviting. The onsite restaurant also has a nice atmosphere and great service.

6

Molly

Oct 23, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

It was a nice place and the bed was fairly comfortable but it wasn’t quite as luxury as advertised. Breakfast was very good.

10

Thomas

Dec 26, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Breakfast was good.

8

Deborah

Apr 14, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Desk staff was welcoming and friendly. Clean, pleasant room with very comfy bed. Small bathroom w small counter access. Welcome Champagne offered, but no lobby coffee, no continental breakfast.

8

Minette

Mar 22, 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Everything was great. The food at rel.ish was amazing and the drinks are strong.

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AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	$117
February	$113
March	$113
April	$131
May	$144
June	$129
July	$177
August	$168
September	$175
October	$201
November	$163
December	$122

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $142	2 $168	3 $222
4 $141	5 $135	6 $131	7 $134	8 $142	9 $181	10 $180
11 $133	12 $135	13 $135	14 $135	15 $133	16	17 $466
18 $134	19 $133	20 $135	21 $134	22 $133	23	24 $680
25 $124	26 $125	27 $127	28 $127	29 $127	30 $166	31 $168

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15 $138	16 $130	17 $122	18	19 $323
20 $129	21 $129	22 $130	23 $132	24 $132	25	26 $428
27 $123	28 $124	29 $125	30 $140

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Wheelchair Access Roll in Shower King)

Executive Room, 1 King Bed (Executive Elite King with Sleeper Sof)

Deluxe Room, 1 King Bed, Balcony (Elite King with Sleeper Balcony Accessible)

Room, 2 Double Beds, Accessible (Wheelchair Accessible Classic 2 Doubl)

Standard Room, 2 Double Beds (Classic 2 Double Beds )

Deluxe Room, 2 Double Beds, Balcony (Deluxe 2 Double Beds Balcony Access)

Executive Room, 1 King Bed (Executive King)

Standard Room, 1 King Bed (Classic King )

Room, 1 King Bed, Accessible (Wheelchair Accessible Classic King)

Guest reviews

Very good

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property Policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about The Kensington Hotel

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Prices for upcoming dates