London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [150]
Space Apart Hotel.
££ | This Georgian hotel near Hyde Park is a great find with 30 studio apartments that have all been recently renovated in stellar style.Each is done in soothing tones of white and gray, with polished wood floors and attractive modern kitchenettes equipped with all you need to make small meals. The standard rooms are quite small, but premium rooms cost only £20 more and give you much more space to play. Bathrooms are new and modern, although they are not big. The location is handy, and the value for money here is really impressive. Pros: the price is right; the larger suites have space for four people. Cons: no in-house restaurant or bar; minimum two-night stay required. TripAdvisor: “spotlessly clean,” “very warm and inviting,” “rooms ultra modern and stylish.” | 32–37 Kensington Gardens Sq., Bayswater | W2 4BQ | 0207/908–1340 | www.aparthotel-london.co.uk | 30 rooms | In-room: a/c, no phone, kitchen, refrigerator, Wi-Fi, DVD | MC, V | Station: Bayswater .
Stylotel.
£ | Just around the corner from Paddington station, this is a wry, funky-looking little place that conceals a smoothly run operation underneath its rather camp exterior. Rooms are small and functional, but perfectly comfortable, and bathrooms are even tinier. But it’s clean, with a cheery attitude, and covers all the basics. What more could you want? Pros: bargain price; helpful staff; unique style. Cons: style will be too unique for some; small bedrooms and bathrooms; serves breakfast only—you have to eat out every night; Web site is frequently down, which makes booking online a challenge. TripAdvisor: “perfect location for shopping,” “rooms are extremely cool and modern,” “comfortable and very clean.” | 160–162 Sussex Gardens Sq., Bayswater | W2 1UD | 0207/223–1026 | www.stylotel.com | In-room: no a/c, Wi-Fi (paid). In-hotel: parking (paid) | AE, MC, V | Station: Paddington, Edgware Rd .
Vancouver Studios.
££ | This little hotel in a heritage-listed Victorian town house is perfect for those wanting a home away from home. All rooms are similar to efficiency apartments, with mini-kitchens and microwaves, and you can even preorder groceries, which are stocked in your mini-refrigerator on arrival. Each studio has daily maid service as well as room service. Some rooms have working fireplaces, and one opens onto the leafy, paved garden. Pros: more space than a hotel room; unique little apartments. Cons: a bit out of the way; a bargain only if several people share the space. TripAdvisor: “room was spotless,” “internet is slow in the evening,” “shower is tiny.” | 30 Prince’s Sq., Bayswater | W2 4NJ | 020/7243–1270 | www.vancouverstudios.co.uk | 45 studios | In-room: no a/c, kitchen, refrigerator, DVD, Wi-Fi. In-hotel: room service, bar, laundry facilities, laundry service, parking (paid) | AE, DC, MC, V | Bayswater, Queensway
HAMPSTEAD
La Gaffe.
££ | Italian Bernardo Stella has welcomed people back to these early-18th-century row houses, a short walk up one of Hampstead’s magnificent hills, for more than 20 years. The clue to his ethos is in the name—an ironic French play on “Gaff,” which is British slang for a small and simple residence. That rather neatly sums up the bedrooms, which are tiny and with few amenities, although some have canopy or four-poster beds. All have private bathrooms. In the enclosed courtyard there’s a raised summer patio. Pros: pretty