You know what? I wasn’t expecting much when I first climbed up to the third floor on Gate Street – honestly, the building looks pretty unremarkable from the outside. But this duplex completely surprised me, and I mean that in the best way possible. The moment you walk in, there’s this lovely sense of space that you just don’t get in most London accommodations. The living area downstairs has these big windows that actually let in proper light (which, if you’ve stayed in central London before, you’ll know is kind of a miracle), and the kitchen is genuinely functional – not one of those tiny afterthoughts where you can barely make tea.
What really got me was how quiet it is, considering you’re literally a two-minute walk from Holborn station. Gate Street is this tucked-away little road that somehow escapes most of the chaos, but you’re still right in the thick of everything. I mean, you can walk to Covent Garden in about five minutes, the British Museum is practically next door, and there’s this brilliant little café called Attendant just around the corner – it’s actually built in old Victorian toilets, which sounds weird but trust me on this one. The duplex setup works really well too; having the bedrooms upstairs gives it this homey feel that’s completely different from your typical hotel box. Both bedrooms are proper sizes with decent storage, and the beds are actually comfortable (I’m picky about mattresses, so this matters).
The area itself is sort of perfectly positioned between the tourist madness and real London life. You’ve got Lincoln’s Inn Fields literally across the road – this gorgeous square where locals walk their dogs and office workers eat lunch – and then you’re also walking distance to Borough Market if you fancy a Saturday morning food adventure. Parking is typically London awful, so definitely don’t bring a car, but honestly the transport links are so good you won’t need one anyway. I stayed here during a pretty busy week in September and never felt like I was fighting crowds just to get home, which is saying something. The whole building is well-maintained, check-in was straightforward, and the host actually responds to messages quickly (rare these days). My only tiny gripe would be that the shower pressure could be better, but that’s pretty standard for older London buildings. For the price point and that location – plus having proper space to spread out – it’s genuinely hard to beat.