Honestly, when I first walked into this penthouse at Cambridge Court, I wasn’t expecting much – I mean, Sussex Gardens isn’t exactly the fanciest street in London, right? But stepping off that lift into Flat 73, well, that’s when everything changes. The skyline views are absolutely mental, and I’m not just saying that because the name promises them. You’re looking out over proper London – none of that “partial view if you crane your neck” nonsense you get at some places.
The thing about staying this close to Marble Arch is you’re actually in this sweet spot where you can walk to Oxford Street in about three minutes (dangerous for the wallet, obviously), but you’re tucked away enough that you don’t hear the tourist chaos at night. Sussex Gardens itself is pretty quiet after 9 PM, which honestly surprised me given how central it is. The penthouse itself feels more like borrowing a well-off friend’s flat than staying in a hotel – there’s this lived-in quality that makes you want to kick off your shoes immediately. The kitchen’s properly equipped too, not just a sad kettle and mini-fridge situation, though with Borough Market just a tube ride away and all those little Lebanese places on Edgware Road practically next door, you might not use it much.
What really gets me is the attention to detail that you only notice after you’ve been there a day or two. The shower pressure is brilliant (and trust me, after walking around London all day, this matters), the WiFi actually works throughout the flat, and there are enough plugs that you’re not playing musical chairs with your devices. Check-in was refreshingly straightforward – none of that hovering around a tiny reception desk with your luggage. The building’s got character without being creaky, if you know what I mean. Sure, it’s not brand new and shiny, but there’s something quite nice about staying somewhere that feels like actual London rather than a generic international hotel that could be anywhere. The 8.9 rating makes sense when you consider you’re getting penthouse space and views for what you’d normally pay for a standard room in this part of town. I mean, you’re a five-minute walk from Hyde Park’s Speaker’s Corner and even closer to the best Lebanese food in London – that’s worth something, isn’t it?