London Choice Apartments – Gloucester Road – Kensington

Hotel Description

Honestly, when I first walked up to 48B Harrington Gardens, I wasn’t expecting much – the entrance is actually pretty understated for Kensington, tucked between those classic white Victorian terraces that make this neighborhood so ridiculously photogenic. But you know what? That’s exactly what makes London Choice Apartments work so well. It feels like you’re staying in someone’s gorgeous flat rather than some sterile hotel lobby.

The location is absolutely brilliant, and I mean that in the most practical way possible. You’re literally a two-minute walk from Gloucester Road tube station – I timed it because I’m obsessive like that – which gets you pretty much anywhere in London without the tourist crowds you’ll find around South Ken station just down the road. The Natural History Museum is close enough that you can pop over when the afternoon light hits that stunning facade, but you’re far enough from the museum district madness that you can actually think straight. Plus, there’s this little stretch of independent shops and cafes along Gloucester Road that most visitors completely miss because they’re too busy rushing toward the big attractions.

What really sold me on this place was the apartment setup – these aren’t your typical cramped London hotel rooms where you’re bumping into the furniture every time you turn around. The spaces actually breathe, with proper kitchens (not those sad little tea-making corners) and living areas where you can spread out your map collection or whatever it is you do when you travel. The building itself has that solid, quiet feel that good Victorian architecture gives you – thick walls mean you’re not hearing every conversation from the hallway, which is honestly a miracle in London. I stayed during a pretty busy weekend in autumn, and the only sounds were the occasional black cab rumbling past and morning birds in the garden squares nearby.

The 9.2 rating makes total sense once you settle in for a few days. It’s those little details that add up – the check-in process was refreshingly straightforward, the WiFi actually works everywhere (not just “technically available”), and someone clearly thought about storage space because there are enough places to put your stuff that you’re not living out of a suitcase. The neighborhood has this lived-in feeling that’s getting harder to find in central London, where actual residents walk their dogs past the same Georgian doorways that housed writers and artists a century ago. You’ll find yourself taking different routes to the tube just to peek down those tree-lined residential streets that somehow survived both the Blitz and modern development.

I mean, it’s not perfect – parking around here is the usual London nightmare, and if you’re the type who needs a concierge to validate your existence, this probably isn’t your scene. But if you want to feel like you actually live in London for a week instead of just visiting it, and you appreciate being able to walk to three different tube lines while staying somewhere that doesn’t cost more than your mortgage payment, this place hits that sweet spot perfectly.

Rooms

• Three-Bedroom Apartment with 1 double bed, 2 single beds, 1 large double bed and 1 futon bed for 7 adults

Facilities