You know what caught me off guard about this place? Walking up to 23A Villiers Street, I was expecting some cramped London crash pad, but honestly – these rooms are surprisingly spacious for Westminster. I mean, we’re talking about a street that’s literally wedged between the Thames and Trafalgar Square, so finding actual room to breathe here is pretty remarkable.
The location is absolutely mad in the best way possible. You’re basically living above Embankment station (which sounds awful but actually isn’t – the Tube noise is way less intrusive than you’d think). What’s brilliant is that you can stumble out the front door and be at the South Bank in about three minutes flat, or wander up to Covent Garden without even thinking about it. I spent half my mornings just grabbing coffee from that little place on the Strand and walking along the river before the tourist crowds descended. The evening vibe is lovely too – there’s something quite magical about being so close to the water when all the office workers have cleared out.
The apartments themselves feel properly modern without being sterile, if that makes sense. Good kitchenettes (actually functional, not just for show), decent WiFi that doesn’t cut out every five minutes, and the beds are genuinely comfortable – not just “decent for London” comfortable. The bathrooms are compact but well-designed, with proper water pressure that’ll actually wake you up in the morning. What I really appreciated was the attention to small details – proper blackout curtains (essential when you’re dealing with those ridiculous summer sunrises), enough electrical outlets that you’re not playing Tetris with your chargers, and storage that actually works for more than a weekend bag. Sure, you can hear the occasional late-night reveler wandering back from the West End, but honestly? That’s just London, and the double-glazed windows do a decent job keeping most of it out. The 8.6 rating feels about right – it’s not going to blow your mind, but it delivers exactly what it promises without any nasty surprises. For the money and the location, especially if you want to be in the thick of things without paying Savoy prices, it’s actually quite solid.