Marble Arch Suite 3-Hosted by Sweetstay

Hotel Description

Honestly, when I first walked up to 3 Connaught Street, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a “hosted” apartment situation, but Sweetstay really knows what they’re doing here. The building sits right in Tyburnia – which, let’s be real, sounds fancier than it is, but that’s actually part of its charm. You’re literally a three-minute walk from Marble Arch tube station, and I mean actually three minutes, not that inflated travel website nonsense where they pretend everyone walks at Olympic speed.

The flat itself surprised me in the best way. These Connaught Street buildings are proper Victorian, so you get those lovely high ceilings and big windows that make the space feel way more generous than your typical London accommodation. The suite has this lived-in elegance – not the sterile hotel perfection that makes you afraid to touch anything, but genuinely comfortable furniture that looks like someone actually chose it rather than ordered it from a catalog. The kitchen’s small but functional (I managed to make proper coffee and even attempted breakfast, though the local cafés proved too tempting). What really sold me was the attention to details you don’t always get – decent hangers, enough outlets near the bed, proper blackout curtains that actually block out those brutal summer sunrises.

Location-wise, you’re in this sweet spot where you can walk to Oxford Street if you’re feeling masochistic about shopping, but you can also escape into Hyde Park when the city gets overwhelming. Connaught Street has this village-y feel with a few local pubs and that excellent Lebanese place on the corner – honestly, skip the tourist traps and eat there instead. The neighborhood gets properly quiet at night, which shocked me given how central you are. I was expecting typical London street noise, but these thick old walls and the residential nature of the street mean you’ll actually sleep. Parking’s a nightmare, obviously – this is Zone 1 London – but between the tube connections and how walkable everything is, you really don’t need a car anyway. The Sweetstay team was refreshingly straightforward about check-in (they send clear instructions, not a novel), and when I had a minor issue with the heating, someone actually responded quickly rather than making me fill out forms. For the price point and that 8.7 rating, I get it – this place delivers on being a proper London base without the corporate hotel stuffiness or the sketchy Airbnb lottery.

Rooms

• Apartment with 1 single bed and 2 × 1 double bed for 5 adults, 4 children

Facilities