I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to this place on Paddington Street, I almost missed it entirely. The Chic London Duplex Marylebone doesn’t scream “look at me” from the street, which is actually part of its charm. It’s tucked into one of those gorgeous Georgian terraces that make Marylebone feel like a secret London neighborhood, even though you’re literally a five-minute walk from Oxford Circus madness.
The duplex setup is what really sold me on this spot. You know how most London hotel rooms make you feel like you’re living in a shoebox? Well, here you actually get some breathing room with the split-level layout. The downstairs has this cozy living area where you can spread out your maps and shopping bags (and trust me, you’ll have shopping bags – Selfridges is basically around the corner). Upstairs is where the magic happens though – the bedroom has these massive windows that let in proper light, which is honestly rare in central London. I mean, the rating of 7.9 out of 10 makes perfect sense when you consider the space you’re getting for the location.
What I really love about staying here is how it puts you right in the heart of proper London without the tourist circus. Paddington Street itself is this lovely tree-lined stretch where you’ll see more locals walking their dogs than people dragging suitcases around. There’s a brilliant little café called Ginger & White just down the street where the baristas actually remember your order after two days – try finding that near Leicester Square. And here’s something the guidebooks won’t tell you: the 74 bus that stops practically outside will take you straight to Baker Street tube in about three minutes, or you can walk it in ten if the weather’s decent. The Regent’s Park entrance is also close enough that you can pop over for a morning jog without it feeling like an expedition.
The building itself has that solid, quiet feel that older London properties do so well. I was worried about street noise since it’s central, but honestly, Paddington Street is residential enough that it settles down nicely in the evenings. Check-in was refreshingly straightforward too – none of that overly formal hotel reception desk drama, just someone who knows the area and can point you toward the good stuff nearby. The whole experience feels more like borrowing a friend’s incredibly well-located flat than staying in a typical hotel, which is exactly what you want when you’re trying to live like a Londoner for a few days rather than just tick boxes on a tourist itinerary.