Staycation in London, with City Relay
You know how fond I am, of travelling and exploring new places and activities, especially in London. It was on a recent trip to London for which we had booked one of the lovely Kensington Hazlitt Hideaway apartment for a mini staycation in the city. Isn't it a bonus when you find a place to stay, which is both welcoming and affordable? It's not very common to find such places but City Relay, a short term fully furnished property rental entity is definitely something to be considered. They not only have properties in central locations in London, but also in Paris, Amsterdam and Rome. They have well managed to provide a luxurious, bright and hotelesque feeling to the guests, but at a better price than the hotels. So especially if you're meaning to travel in a group, this option will definitely get more points.
The booking process was extremely smooth and simple and I got a confirmation email from City Relay, the company that manages the property. The check-in time starts at 3:00 pm and the very lovely Josephine personally came to receive us and show the property around. Most of all, it was delightful seeing the pretty bouquet of fresh flowers and chocolate on the dining table. Check-out time is 11:00 am.
The first impression on entering the property was fantastic. I personally love high ceilings, brightly lit places and minimalist decor. Both bedrooms and the living cum dining area were spacious and the property was equipped with all the modern furnishings (most of them from IKEA), and amenities such as a widescreen TV. Really liked the screen size by the way, however the SKY channels weren’t working so we only had access to the Freeview channels. The comfortable L-shaped sofa in the living area was convertible (not referring to a car, but a bed) and could easily accommodate 2 persons. The living area just had two lamps, a floor lamp and a table lamp, that were working. However, the lighting after sunset seemed inadequate as the ceiling lights were out of order, which unfortunately also couldn’t be fixed at an urgent basis so we decided to bring another floor lamp from one of the rooms to brighten the dining area a bit. If you have children, I would recommend seeing the place around to ensure their safety. We actually spotted a few pieces of glass which had been overlooked by the cleaner because of which I thoroughly had to vacuum clean the blue rug.
The open plan kitchen in the property was good enough to fit one person in the kitchen at a time (I like more space), but had all the modern amenities such as oven, microwave, fridge, kettle, toaster, washer cum dryer and all kitchen utensils (metal cutlery including spoons, forks, knives, dessert spoons, cooking spoons, tin opener, pots and pans, serving dishes, plates, bowls, glasses and mugs). They had also provided kitchen towels, dish washing essentials and table mats. There was an under counter fridge at the property which included a small freezer section inside as well and it was very thoughtful of them to include complimentary tea/coffee and sugar for the guests.
Both the bedrooms were brightly lit (before sunset), with comfortable bed and bedding, and with lots of storage spaces that also had extra pillows, linen, hair dryer and hangers. They had also provided towels, linens and complimentary hotel-style toiletries. However, the lighting in the second bedroom was insufficient after sunset because the ceiling lights were out of order and just one table lamp was working. It took me a while to sleep at night because there was lots of noise coming from the outside (probably because the windows weren't double glazed), in the main bedroom so I decided to sleep in the living room. However, the foot steps of the people staying in the apartment just above ours throughout the night were a nightmare. I waited till 2:00 am but it seemed as if they had been walking in the property all night. The same continued on the second night even though I decided to sleep in the second bedroom, but the noise was still very clear.
Both the bedrooms were brightly lit (before sunset), with comfortable bed and bedding, and with lots of storage spaces that also had extra pillows, linen, hair dryer and hangers. They had also provided towels, linens and complimentary hotel-style toiletries. However, the lighting in the second bedroom was insufficient after sunset because the ceiling lights were out of order and just one table lamp was working. It took me a while to sleep at night because there was lots of noise coming from the outside (probably because the windows weren't double glazed), in the main bedroom so I decided to sleep in the living room. However, the foot steps of the people staying in the apartment just above ours throughout the night were a nightmare. I waited till 2:00 am but it seemed as if they had been walking in the property all night. The same continued on the second night even though I decided to sleep in the second bedroom, but the noise was still very clear.
I really liked the bathroom, and although there wasn't a window there, it was brightly lit with ceiling lights with dimmer and a fantastic sized bath with space for storage.
Since our property was situated in the heart of West Kensington, we had access to the city center and most chic areas of London. BabyN’ is really fond of animals so my husband and I decided to take to the Natural History Museum the next day, it was Sunday so we easily found free parking nearby. There are also many Halal eating spots in the area, which was a bonus for us, and we decided to have our dinner at an authentic Indian restaurant in Fulham. You can read about my experience, here. There are also many other museums in the same area including the Leighton House Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum, if you’re interested. Besides, there were also many other tourist destinations such as Harrods, very near to the Kensington Hazlitt Hideaway apartment.
The property has parking available right outside and is free, 7:00 pm onward till 9:00 am in the morning on a weekend. Otherwise, it is £2 per hour. Since we weren’t much aware of the area, we initially paid for a few hours but thinking of it to be a rip off, my husband went outside to explore the area around to find a better parking option, and luckily found a free parking spot at the Milson Street just 2 streets across our property, and almost 15 minutes by walk but it helped us save a lot of pounds. Other than a few nitty-gritty things, our stay at the property was great, both in terms of comfort and ease, and I look forward to booking the stay with City Relay in future too.
The property has parking available right outside and is free, 7:00 pm onward till 9:00 am in the morning on a weekend. Otherwise, it is £2 per hour. Since we weren’t much aware of the area, we initially paid for a few hours but thinking of it to be a rip off, my husband went outside to explore the area around to find a better parking option, and luckily found a free parking spot at the Milson Street just 2 streets across our property, and almost 15 minutes by walk but it helped us save a lot of pounds. Other than a few nitty-gritty things, our stay at the property was great, both in terms of comfort and ease, and I look forward to booking the stay with City Relay in future too.
Wow, this apartment looks great and you say it was affordable and in Kensington too. I stayed in Camden about a year ago with Airbnb in an apartment also and it was good value too. Great interior photographs.
ReplyDeleteooooh this one looks great and considering its right in the heart of london would definitely check it out for next time!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so wonderful .. especially in the heart of London. We've yet to stay in a hotel apartment .. but will definitely be checking one out the next time we travel!
ReplyDeleteI have never stayed in a hotel apartment but this one is gorgeous. Such a shame about the insufficient lighting and the glass!
ReplyDeletethe pictures are lovely, i love the concept of hotel apartments over regular options, thanks and cheers
ReplyDeleteoh my, I never stayed in an hotel apartment before, not sure why. I also have never been to London, which is another downfall, I truly have to remedy. Thankfully the rest of my family agrees, so maybe this will actually happen sometime soon? Blessings
ReplyDeleteClaudia
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Wow I haven't stayed at an apartment like this before, but this post is convincing me to look into it. Love that it's centrally located. I've stayed at London hotels before, but this looks much more like a home environment. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteWow looks like a great way to stay in London! I really love the lightness of the property, with the subtle accent colors here and there.
ReplyDeleteI really like the LED lights in the kitchen. They look really cool and I want to have the in my kitchen too. Great for brightening up any room!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful looking location! I love the clean and classic look of the place. Definitely wonderful for a staycation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review of the rental good thing to keep in mind , lovely photos and the read was nice
ReplyDeleteOh that looks lovely. Hubby hates staying in hotels and always just wants to do day outs in London rather than staying overnight...will have to convince him of this place.
ReplyDeleteThis place looks fantastic! I love it when property owners put in effort to make your stay comfortable. It always pays off!
ReplyDeleteThe apartment looks really bright and clean, hotel apartments and airbnbs are such a great alternative to hotel rooms especially for families, thank you for sharing will keep this mind for when inshaAllah finally get to go to London.
ReplyDelete'Staycation' very clever! I think we forget how great the city's we actually live in are! Also I LOVE IKEA !!
ReplyDeleteOh wow, the interior is just gorgeous! I have a thing with interior and just love to see how places are decorated.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a lovely place! The interior is so modern and pretty. Hope you had a great time :)
ReplyDeleteIt's weird but sometimes I love staying in hotel styled apartments. It depends where we go but the kitchen is ALWAYS A WIN especially when you go with the entire family and you take snacks or bring back food it's just so much easier. Looks so chic! (www.beautywithzainy.com and www.spicyfusionkitchen.com)
ReplyDeleteWoow such a lovely place... especially the kitchen
ReplyDeleteMy kitchen windows are of best double glazing glasses. The benefits of double glazing are enormous like soundless atmosphere, balanced temperature and all which makes your home a heaven.
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