Every year, my best friend and I make some time to go down to London for two or three days... just because. This year was no exception, though we went down in Summer rather than our customary winter trip because we had tickets to see Queen (you know, the band). It just so happened it was the week before the Olympics Opening Ceremony, and our usual hotel had put a 100% markup on the price we had previously been quoted. Twas time to seek out new lodgings!
Enter Studios 2 Let! Coming up as within our price range, and with excellent reviews on TripAdvisor, I was just about sold on this little beauty! I had never booked an apartment based accommodation before, so I didn't really know what to expect. Before I made our booking, I had to make sure that should we arrive before check-in time, there'd be somewhere to leave our bags while we went off gallivanting like tourists. Once the lovely receptionist confirmed me that this was possible, I didn't hesitate to take the plunge. With the website I used to make my reservation, I was able to pay up front and I didn't have to worry about anything else other than spending money. The week before our trip, I called ahead to make sure that our booking was in place and to confirm that the account was already settled in advance (having worked in hotel reservations, I got into the habit of doing this because sometimes things go awry). Again, the lady I spoke with was lovely, and very kindly assured me that all was in place.
On arrival, we left our bags with reception and signed ourselves in so we'd have a quicker check-in come 2pm. When we were finished with our aforementioned gallivanting, we checked in, were given our keys, and someone helped us with our luggage and showed us to our Studio apartment. The building itself is fabulous. The apartment complex encompasses the whole block, and these are gorgeous converted townhouses. The street was lovely and well presented with a distinctly residential feel, which is a nice change of pace from the maze of hotels cramped together in Bayswater. Our apartment was situated with a view of the garden, which meant that there was absolutely no noise from the street to keep us awake at night.
When you first look at the apartment, you might think that it's small, but whoever designed it certainly knew how to make the absolute most of the space. There's a fully fitted kitchen, complete with a fridge, freezer, microwave, plates, glasses, cutlery, bottle opener... Everything you would need to be self-catering (worry not, there's plenty of food places nearby if you don't fancy that). There's a breakfasting bench, with folding chairs hiding in your wardrobe, as well as a couple of comfy seats and a table situated by the fantastic full length windows. Each apartment has a flat screen TV and DVD player, a phone, and an intercom in case you're expecting guests, and you also get free wi-fi thrown in. The bathroom has a mirror that practically takes up a whole wall. The space is small, but by no means crowded. I'd be quite happy to live there for a few weeks, as many guests do. Oh! And the bed deserves special mention! Twas like a sleeping on a cloud! I wish I could have taken it home with me, strapped to the bus if necessary.
The location of the apartments was convenient both for the fact you only need to get on one underground train to get there from Victoria station (we used Kings Cross, as it was slightly closer than Euston despite what google maps says), and the transport gives quick and easy access to London's main tourist attractions, many of which are a mere one short train ride away.
The service was fantastic from beginning to end, and it was probably the best nights sleep I've ever had in London in the 10 years I've been going. I think I may have found my new regular hotel. ^^ read more