So I stayed at Covent Garden Apartments on Parker Street last month, and honestly? It’s one of those places that gets almost everything right. First thing you notice walking up is how quiet this little stretch is – which is pretty remarkable considering you’re basically a two-minute walk from all the chaos of Covent Garden’s street performers and tourist crowds.
The apartments themselves feel properly lived-in, if that makes sense. Not like those sterile hotel rooms where everything’s bolted down and covered in plastic. I mean, the kitchen actually had decent knives and a coffee machine that wasn’t some tiny pod thing. My flat was on the third floor (no lift, just so you know), and the windows looked out over these lovely Georgian rooftops. You get these little glimpses of London life – people hanging laundry, someone’s rooftop garden, that sort of thing. The bed was properly comfortable too, which… well, you never know with apartment rentals, do you?
What really sold me on the place was the location, though I don’t mean that in the usual “convenient for everything” way travel sites always say. It’s more that you’re tucked into this pocket of Bloomsbury that feels authentically London. There’s a proper local pub – The Lamb – just around the corner on Lamb’s Conduit Street that hasn’t been turned into a tourist trap yet. And if you walk five minutes toward Russell Square, you hit all these brilliant little cafes and bookshops that locals actually use. The British Museum is right there too, but more importantly, you’re near Borough Market if you want to grab proper groceries instead of eating out every meal.
I will say the check-in process is a bit… well, it’s not like a hotel where someone’s always at reception. You get sent codes and instructions, which worked fine for me, but if you’re the type who likes having someone to ask questions, it might feel a bit impersonal. Also, the shower pressure was just okay – not terrible, but not the kind that’ll wake you up in the morning either. The heating worked brilliantly though, which in a London flat in October was honestly more important.
The thing that impressed me most was how the place managed to feel both central and residential. You’re not dealing with hen parties stumbling past your window at 2am like you would staying right in Covent Garden proper, but you can still walk to the Royal Opera House or catch a show in the West End without getting on the tube. And speaking of transport – Holborn station is maybe a seven-minute walk, Russell Square even closer, so you’re genuinely well-connected without being right on top of the noise.
For the price point and that 9.3 rating, it delivers. It’s not fancy in a five-star hotel way, but it’s the kind of place where you can actually settle in for a few days and live a bit like a Londoner rather than just passing through. If you’re looking for somewhere with character that won’t completely drain your budget, and you don’t mind climbing a few stairs, it’s definitely worth considering.