Look, I’ll be honest – when I first saw “Cozy Apt in Central London” listed on Crane Court, I almost scrolled past it thinking it would be one of those shoebox places that barely fits a suitcase. But this little gem actually surprised me in the best way possible.
The location is pretty fantastic if you know London at all. Crane Court sits right in the City, which means you’re basically in the heart of where London’s financial district hums during the week – but here’s the thing most people don’t realize: weekends are blissfully quiet since all the office workers disappear. It’s this weird peaceful bubble surrounded by centuries of history. You’re literally a three-minute walk from Fleet Street (yeah, where all those famous newspapers used to be), and honestly, the cobblestone streets around there feel like you’ve stepped back in time. St. Paul’s Cathedral is close enough that you can pop over for evening service if that’s your thing, and the Thames is right there – I mean, you can walk to the Millennium Bridge in about ten minutes.
What actually won me over was how they’ve managed to make the space feel genuinely cozy without falling into that cramped London apartment trap. The apartment has this lived-in warmth that you don’t usually get with short-term rentals – you know what I mean? Like someone actually cares about the place rather than just cramming in IKEA furniture and calling it done. The kitchen’s small but functional (I managed to make proper coffee every morning, which is my baseline test), and the bathroom’s got decent water pressure, which… well, if you’ve stayed in older London buildings, you’ll appreciate that. The Wi-Fi was solid too – I had a few work calls and didn’t have to do that awkward “can you hear me now?” dance.
One thing to keep in mind: the City can feel a bit deserted on Sunday evenings, so if you’re looking for nightlife right outside your door, this might not be your vibe. But the flip side is that you’ll sleep incredibly well, and the Tube connections are excellent – Chancery Lane and City Thameslink are both walkable, so you can get pretty much anywhere in London without much fuss. Oh, and there’s a Tesco Express nearby for basics, plus some genuinely good pubs tucked away on the side streets. The Blackfriar is maybe a fifteen-minute walk and serves proper fish and chips if you’re doing the tourist thing.
The 8.4 rating makes sense to me – it’s not trying to be fancy, but it delivers on what it promises. I’d definitely stay here again, especially if I wanted to explore the more historic bits of London without dealing with the chaos of somewhere like Covent Garden every time I stepped outside.