You know what struck me first about Park Lane Apartments? The address says Chesterfield Street, but don’t let that fool you – you’re literally a stone’s throw from the chaos of Oxford Street, yet tucked away on this quiet little side street that most tourists completely miss. I mean, I’ve walked past Shaw House dozens of times without really noticing it, which is honestly part of its charm. The building itself has that classic London thing going on – looks properly posh from the outside, and the apartments inside actually live up to the five-star billing, though I’d say the 7.8 rating feels about right. It’s excellent, but not quite blow-your-mind territory.
The location is honestly ridiculous (in the best way). You’re in Mayfair, which sounds intimidating and expensive – well, it is expensive – but staying here puts you right in the thick of everything without the tourist circus. Berkeley Square is right there, and if you’re into that sort of thing, you can pretend you’re channeling some serious old-money London vibes. More practically though, you can walk to Bond Street station in about three minutes, or if you’re feeling ambitious, Green Park is maybe seven minutes on foot. The apartments themselves are properly spacious by London standards, which isn’t saying much, but after staying in those shoebox hotels near Russell Square, these feel palatial. The kitchenettes are actually functional – I managed to make decent coffee and even attempted breakfast once, though honestly with Selfridges food hall so close, why bother?
Here’s the thing though – this isn’t your typical hotel experience. Check-in can be a bit scattered sometimes, and the service feels more like a high-end apartment rental than a hotel, which some people love and others find a bit hands-off. The street itself is pretty quiet, even on weekends, but you’ll definitely hear the occasional late-night revelry from people spilling out of the pubs on Curzon Street. Nothing too crazy, just London being London. If you’re here during the week, it’s actually quite peaceful – all those Mayfair offices empty out by evening and it feels almost residential. The building’s got character too, that slightly creaky lift and narrow hallways that make you feel like you’re in a proper London story, not some generic international chain. Honestly, for the location and the space you get, it’s pretty solid value for this part of town, though I’d definitely book directly rather than through some of those sketchy booking sites – learned that lesson the hard way once.