You know that feeling when you walk into a place and immediately think “okay, this person actually knows what they’re doing”? That’s exactly what happened when I stepped into this three-bedroom house just off Goodge Street. The owner is clearly an architect – and not the kind who designs soulless office buildings, but someone who actually understands how people live and move through spaces.
The location is honestly perfect if you want to be in the thick of London without the tourist chaos. Goodge Street tube is literally around the corner (Northern line, which I know gets crowded during rush hour but is brilliant for getting anywhere quickly), and you’re walking distance from both the British Museum and those little vintage shops on Charlotte Street that locals pretend to discover. Oxford Street is close enough that you can pop over for shopping, but far enough that you won’t hear the buses rumbling past at 6 AM. I mean, Camden as a borough gets a bit of a reputation for being all markets and punk tourists, but this particular pocket feels more like Fitzrovia – quieter, more grown-up somehow.
What really got me was the attention to detail throughout the house. Each of the three bathrooms feels deliberately designed rather than just functional – good water pressure, actually decent lighting for getting ready, and none of that cheap hotel soap nonsense. The bedrooms have proper blackout curtains (crucial if you’re dealing with jet lag), and the beds themselves are the kind you sink into after walking 20,000 steps around the city. The living spaces flow together naturally, which sounds like marketing speak but honestly makes a difference when you’re traveling with friends or family and need both together time and space to decompress. There’s a kitchen that’s actually equipped for cooking real meals – not just reheating takeaway – though with Borough Market a quick tube ride away and some genuinely good gastropubs within walking distance, you might not use it much. The whole place feels lived-in rather than sterile, like staying in a friend’s well-appointed home rather than a rental property that gets turned over every few days.
The 8.9 rating makes total sense to me – it’s the kind of place that delivers exactly what it promises without any nasty surprises. Check-in was smooth, the neighborhood is safe enough that I felt comfortable walking back from dinner at 11 PM, and honestly, the value is solid for central London. You’re paying for the location and the space, but you’re also getting someone’s actual taste and attention to detail rather than just a bed and a bathroom. If you’re the type who appreciates good design and wants to feel like a temporary Londoner rather than just another tourist, this hits the mark perfectly.