I’ll be honest – when I first walked down Kelso Place looking for this mews apartment, I almost missed it entirely. You know how London’s tucked-away streets can be, especially in Kensington where half the addresses seem to be hiding behind garden walls or down these impossibly narrow lanes. But that’s actually part of what makes The Mews Apartment so brilliant – it feels like you’ve discovered some secret local hideaway rather than checking into just another hotel.
The building itself has that classic mews charm that estate agents love to go on about, but here it actually lives up to the hype. These converted stables have character without feeling like you’re sleeping in a museum. The apartment I stayed in had these gorgeous original brick walls and surprisingly high ceilings – I mean, whoever converted this place knew what they were doing. What really got me though was stepping out the front door in the morning. You’re literally a three-minute walk from Kensington High Street if you need your Boots run or a proper coffee, but Kelso Place itself is this quiet little pocket where you can actually hear birds instead of constant traffic. The locals clearly know something we don’t – I watched the same woman walk her ancient spaniel past every morning at exactly 7:30, and there’s this tiny community garden tucked around the corner that I only spotted on my third day.
The practical stuff matters too, and honestly, this place gets the details right. Check-in was refreshingly straightforward – no hovering in a lobby for twenty minutes while they “prepare your key.” The apartment felt properly lived-in rather than sterile, with a kitchen that’s actually equipped for more than just making tea (though the tea situation was excellent, obviously). I particularly appreciated the blackout curtains because London’s summer light starts ridiculously early, and the heating that actually worked without sounding like a small aircraft taking off. Parking’s a bit of a dance around here – you’ll want to check the street signs carefully or risk a ticket, but there’s usually something within a block or two if you’re patient. The 8.5 rating makes sense to me; it’s genuinely comfortable and well-run without being flashy about it. You’re close enough to Hyde Park for morning runs, walking distance to the Natural History Museum if that’s your thing, and honestly, the location puts you right in the sweet spot where you feel like you’re living in London rather than just visiting it. Sometimes that’s worth more than all the fancy amenities in the world.