Honestly, when I first walked up to Selfridges Deluxe Apartments on Upper Berkeley Street, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect – the name had me thinking it might be connected to the famous department store somehow, but it’s actually just a solid aparthotel tucked into this quiet Westminster street that most tourists never stumble across. And you know what? That’s exactly what makes it work.
The location is genuinely brilliant if you know London at all. You’re literally a three-minute walk from Marble Arch tube station, which means the Central Line shoots you straight to Oxford Circus or Bond Street without dealing with the usual tourist chaos around those areas. I mean, you can walk to Selfridges the actual store in about eight minutes, and Hyde Park’s right there when you need to escape the city madness – I spent way too many early mornings jogging around Speaker’s Corner before the crowds hit. The apartments themselves feel more like staying in someone’s well-appointed flat than a typical hotel room, which is refreshing after bouncing between cookie-cutter chain hotels. The kitchenettes are actually functional (rare for London), and I appreciated being able to grab groceries from the Tesco Metro on Edgware Road instead of paying hotel restaurant prices for every meal. The staff at check-in were refreshingly straightforward – no fake enthusiasm, just efficient and helpful when I needed restaurant recommendations that weren’t the usual tourist traps.
What really surprised me was how quiet it stays, even though you’re in Zone 1. The double-glazed windows actually work, and Upper Berkeley Street doesn’t get the late-night foot traffic that’ll keep you awake like some of the busier Westminster streets. The building itself has that solid, no-nonsense feel that good London accommodation should have – not flashy, but everything works properly and the heating doesn’t clank all night (trust me, that matters in February). The 4-star rating feels about right – it’s comfortable and well-maintained without trying to be something it’s not. The 8.1 guest rating makes sense too; it’s the kind of place that delivers exactly what it promises without any unpleasant surprises, though don’t expect anyone to be reinventing the wheel here. If you’re the type who wants to actually live in London for a few days rather than just sleep between tourist activities, this works really well. The Edgware Road area has proper local restaurants – brilliant Lebanese places and that amazing Ranoush juice bar that’s open ridiculously late – and you can walk to Regent’s Park through streets that feel authentically London rather than theme-park London, if that makes sense.