London: My top 5 places to stay!
So in October, I decided to run off to London for a whole month and that meant figuring out where to stay and where to be! After a lengthy process of digging through thousands of Airbnbs and looking up reviews of hotels just to make sure they actually do look like the photos online, I believe I've actually found the cutest stays in London that are:
a) within an appropriate budget
b) decent location
c) most importantly, full of character.
I love gorgeous interiors and that mattered a lot to me when choosing where to stay but you’ll soon learn that it is not very easy to find, of course unless you are comfortable spending an absurd amount of money! Fret not, I've done the digging for you and here are my top 5 places to stay while you’re visiting London.
[Some of these stays I managed to experience myself while I was in town and on average I would spend around 5-7 nights in one location. I made sure to never spend more than MYR2,000 a night]
The Hoxton, Shepherds Bush
The Hoxton is a boutique hotel and they have 2 locations in London. I stayed at their Shepherds Bush location and lucky me, I managed to get a pretty good discount and paid around RM850 per night for their Cosy Park room.
Here are my Pros and Cons:
Pros:
They’re quite generous with their discounts especially if you join their membership.
Great staff! That’s the one upside of staying at a hotel, they take care of you.
They have a popular thai-fusion restaurant downstairs called Chet's. (That you can request to be sent straight to your bed)
Coworking lobby cafe with very artsy vibes! The interior motivated me to do more work haha
Cons:
Location was 5/10. Loved that I was literally steps away from Westfield but Shepherds Bush can be kinda scary although it was super close to the tube and everything was around 15-20 mins away. Super close to Notting Hill too which i loved!
I do wish there was Netflix on TV.
I stayed in one of their bigger rooms and it was still quite small. You definitely can’t leave your big luggage out in the open during your stay.
2. Art Studio in Fulham
This was a quirky find! I have to say, I had the best time here and enjoyed having a duplex situation but it did give off home staging vibes compared to other Airbnbs I’ve stayed at. It just didn’t feel as cozy as I would’ve liked!
Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
Fav location out of all the places I stayed. I really liked Fulham and it was pretty convenient to travel around London! (A super short walk to the station as well)
I felt very safe staying there as a woman alone!
The interior was sooo spacious and modern.
The collection of art around the house made it feel like I was in a gallery but it did feel like a very staged house.
Cons:
A lot of stairs. be prepared! I didn’t pack light at all and found that a challenge.
Cleaning the kitchen was a bit hard. If there were cleaning supplies, I couldn’t find it!
3. La Suite West, Hyde Park
I didn’t manage to stay here because on all my dates, they were fully booked but I really wanted to! Staying here, you’ll be so close to many of London’s attractions and the interior looks so luxe but you pay less than RM800 a night which is so crazy to me!
Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
Umm hello the interior! The marble toilets!! Gorgeous! Plus it’s been newly renovated.
So worth the price. Most London properties will charge the same price and you look like you're staying in a shared hostel. That’s how it is in London honestly.
Location is a short walk away to Hyde Park, so very good for those of you who want to go to the park everyday!
You will be spoiled with choices of restaurants. There is so much good food around you.
Cons:
I don’t love the bayswater area! It’s very popular for tourists so it can get really busy (and slightly unsafe)
Kinda annoying to not have a washer and dryer. I love clean clothes hahaha
4. Art-filled Stylish Flat, Earls Court
This one is definitely the more expensive property but still less than RM2,000 a night! It was featured in Elle decor magazine and the living room is filled with custom made furniture from New York and Paris, along with collectibles from around the world.
Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
So pretty! So much natural lighting
The marble toilet!! Sorry I have a thing for pretty bathrooms, it just makes you feel so expensive.
The location: I love Earls Court and it’s a 5-min walk to the train. Super accessible to the underground!
Cons:
For the first time I have none!
5. Kensal House
This was the highly requested property you guys wanted me to share. So many people would ask me to share the Airbnb link so here it is! My experience here was lovely and this was possibly the most homey property of all. Our host made sure we had everything we ever needed, from cooking supplies to extra blankets but the biggest downside for me was the location. It is in Zone 2 on the north-west side of London so everything can be quite far.
Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
So much beautiful natural lighting and insta-worthy spots in the house.
Loved that there was a breakfast nook.
So many pretty dishes, mugs and mats so it made it quite fun for us to cook.
Cons:
Definitely location. It is in Zone 2 and the walk to the closest station is around a 15-min walk which I felt like was quite far.
Honorary mention:
This one is an honorary mention because I never got to try it out! Location is amazing, it’s in Kensington so you’re close-by to all the bougie restaurants and shops. The living and dining area is so spacious, not to mention you get your own little garden!
Plus, I just love when Airbnbs are colorful like this one is.
