Look, I’ll be straight with you about City Relay Belgravia Apartment 13 – it’s one of those places that actually lives up to the hype, which honestly surprised me a bit. You know how Belgravia can be all fancy facades with zero substance? Well, this isn’t that. The apartment sits right in the heart of Westminster Borough, and I mean *right* in it – you’re basically a five-minute walk from Victoria Station, which is clutch if you’re doing any day trips or need to catch the Gatwick Express.
What really got me was how quiet it stays despite being so central. I was expecting the usual London street noise (you know, the 5 AM garbage trucks and eternal construction), but the building’s positioned on one of those lovely residential streets where the biggest disturbance is probably someone’s Waitrose delivery. The apartment itself feels properly lived-in rather than sterile – there’s actual character here, with those high ceilings you get in proper Victorian conversions and windows that actually open wide enough to let fresh air in. The kitchen’s small but functional (I made proper breakfasts without wanting to throw anything), and honestly, the shower pressure was better than my last three London flats combined.
Here’s what I really appreciated though – the little details that show someone actually thought about what travelers need. There’s enough plug points that you’re not doing that awkward phone-charger-versus-laptop dance, the WiFi doesn’t cut out every ten minutes like some places, and they’ve got proper blackout curtains for those brutal summer mornings when the sun’s up at 5 AM. The location means you can walk to Sloane Square in about eight minutes (perfect for that Saatchi Gallery visit or just decent coffee), and if you fancy a proper park walk, St. James’s is right there. I actually found myself using the Tube less because so much is walkable – Westminster Cathedral, the Tate Britain, even a slightly ambitious stroll to Harrods if you’re feeling fancy. The building’s got that classic London mansion block feel without being stuffy about it, and check-in was refreshingly straightforward – none of that “meet us at a random corner with three forms of ID” nonsense you sometimes get with apartment rentals. It’s solid four-star territory without trying too hard, which in this part of London is saying something.