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London Calling
Still expensive but serviced apartments provide some relief
The serviced apartments at 51 Kensington Ct. are cheaper, larger and
quieter than a typical London hotel.
John Masters, Toronto Sun Travel, Wednesday, October 11, 2006
LONDON – The first part of this quote is famous: “When
a man is tired of London” Samuel Johnson said in 1777, “he
is tired of life”.
The rest is less well-known. “For there is in London,” it
goes on, “all that life can afford”.
And there’s the rub. In the 21st century London, more than ever,
has “all that life can afford”. The question is, can you
afford London? It’s the most expensive city in Europe and just
behind Tokyo for top world honours.
Hotel costs in particular can seem over the moon to visitors, especially
once they see how small the room is they’ve paid so much for.
One alternative is the serviced apartment. You’re usually not
so close to the West End or the city, but still in a very nice neighbourhood
and just a short tube ride from the business, entertainment and historical
districts.
Serviced apartments usually don’t come with the full raft of
proper hotel amenities – no room service or restaurant, a limited
front desk, no pool or business centre – but do have en suite
kitchen facilities, laundry and, best of all, adequate space.
Nicer appointments
After years of staying in hotels, I tried one – 51 Kensington
Court – and was impressed. It cost about two-thirds what I’d
have paid for a double room in a moderately priced hotel near Covent
Garden, had more space, much nicer appointments and was quieter.
It could have slept four for the same price as two, so the savings
can be even greater if you have close friends.
The five-storey, red-brick building is conveniently sited, comes
with a history and has interesting neighbours.
The High St. Kensington tube station is a five-minute walk, and
you pass a Marks & Spencer with its excellent food hall, perfect
for provisioning, on the way.
A stroll through the neighbourhood turned up interesting items.
The tall homes on secluded Kensington Court, most with wrought-iron
balconies,
were all built about the same time, 1850.
Today, although many remain private apartments, some have become
foreign embassies.
French café
The main shopping avenue, busy Kensington High St., is a block
away, but if you go in the opposite direction, down Kensington
Court, you
come to Thackeray St., whose assortment of shops runs from tailor
to art framer, with several real estate agents thrown in.
It also has the Montparnasse, a lovely little French café that’s
fine for breakfast or at the end of a long day. So if you tire of London,
you’ll always have Paris.
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