Crawford Street Studio, by the Design Traveller

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed in plenty of boutique places around London, but this Crawford Street spot actually gets it right. The Design Traveller clearly knows what they’re doing here – it’s one of those studio setups that feels more like crashing at a design-savvy friend’s place than staying in a typical hotel. The building itself sits on a pretty quiet stretch of Crawford Street, which honestly surprised me since you’re literally a three-minute walk from the chaos of Oxford Street, but somehow the residential vibe of this part of Marylebone keeps things peaceful.

What really struck me when I first walked in was how they’ve managed to make a studio feel spacious without any of that cramped, everything-jammed-into-one-room feeling you get with a lot of London accommodations. The design is seriously on point – I mean, with a name like “Design Traveller” you’d hope so, right? – but it’s not trying too hard to be Instagram-perfect. There’s this nice balance between looking great and actually being functional. The kitchen area is small but you can actually cook in it (I made coffee every morning and even managed breakfast once), and the bathroom doesn’t require you to be a contortionist to shower, which… well, if you’ve stayed in central London before, you know that’s not always a given.

The location is honestly one of the best parts about this place. You’re tucked away on this tree-lined street that feels properly residential – I could hear birds in the morning instead of just traffic, which was lovely – but you can walk to Baker Street tube in about five minutes, and Marylebone High Street with all its cute shops and cafes is basically around the corner. I found myself popping over to that little Waitrose on the high street for groceries, and there’s this great Portuguese bakery called Padaria Ribeiro that’s maybe a two-minute walk away if you head toward the Edgware Road. The area gets busy during the day with people cutting through from Oxford Street, but evenings are surprisingly quiet. Parking is typical London nightmare stuff, but honestly, with the tube connections right there, you don’t need a car anyway. The whole setup just works – you get that local London feeling without sacrificing any of the convenience of being central, and that 9.5 rating makes complete sense once you’ve actually stayed there. It’s the kind of place that makes you feel like you’ve discovered something special, even though you’re right in the thick of everything.

Rooms

• Studio Apartment with 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for 4 adults

Facilities