Posted by Hi folks, welcome to the first post in my series on London, United Kingdom! Having lived as a student in London from 2011-12 and visited it multiple times, I’m sharing my personal knowledge of this wonderful city. I plan to post content every week. The content will largely focus on my recent trip there in June-July 2018, but there’ll also be some gems from the past. If you’d like to know more, please follow my blog.
Outside the Edith Terrace Apartment Complex in Chelsea
STAY IN LONDON
As a major international metropolis, London is known to have expensive real estate. Hotels and rental accommodations are exorbitantly priced. Space is limited and houses in Central London are vertical rather than horizontal. Over a two week period we stayed at our family’s home for 10 days and rented a flat in Chelsea through the Ivy Lettings service for 5 days. This is a review of their accommodation at Edith Terrace, Neville Court, Chelsea.
The living area and balcony
IVY LETTINGS
Started in 2009, this rental service prides itself on providing a smoother rental experience than Airbnb, by “eliminating uncertainty at the enquiry stage”. Essentially, it’s geared towards families or groups looking for a classy accommodation without the headaches of settling in.
We’d stayed in an Ivy Lettings apartment in 2011 near the Strand, and were happy with our experience. This time our requirements had changed as we were vacationing with a baby.
The Edith Terrace apartment in Chelsea had two bedrooms, two bathrooms (one with a bathtub and one with a shower), a kitchen with modern appliances and a large living area with adjoining balcony. The apartment is located on the first floor with lift access which is helpful for transporting luggage.
Bedroom with joint bed
BEDROOMS:
The two bedrooms were small, as expected of London homes, but were comfortable. The joint bed was actually twin beds placed together, which could be uncomfortable for some. The second bedroom had separate twin beds as shown in photographs. There were comfortable closets in both rooms and a dresser-drawer in the larger bedroom, along with small bedside tables with lamps next to each bed. Clean bedding was provided, as were small fans to battle the unusually hot summer.
Bedroom with twin beds
BATHROOMS:
The bathroom with the tub was spacious and comfortable, but the shower was cramped. Towels and other bath linen were provided. Each bathroom had travel sized toiletries including soap, shampoo, and shower gel; which unfortunately weren’t enough for a family of five.
Though hot water was available during the day, when I attempted to bathe at night on two separate occasions, I had to endure cold water. At first, I assumed I hadn’t got the setting on the shower right but experienced the same in the tub. This wasn’t mentioned to us before booking.
The kitchen
KITCHEN:
The kitchen was well-lit and came with cooking hobs, oven, toaster, small fridge and tiny freezer, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, French press, washing machine and all manner of kitchenware. French press ground coffee was also generously left for our use along with sugar and salt. Soap and dishwasher liquid was also provided.
Dining area in the living room
LIVING AREA & OTHER AMENITIES:
The comfortable living room consisted of a large couch, dining area and TV. Channels were limited as per a local plan. A strong wifi connection was available without issue. An iron and ironing board and a hairdryer were also provided, though it was a task to find the latter. There was a lot of glassware on display, which had to be put away from my child’s reach!
Bathroom with tub
CLEANLINESS:
The apartment didn’t quite live up to the standard of cleanliness promised on the website. On the face of it, the apartment looked clean but we discovered the floors were caked with dust when my 2 year old walked barefoot and ended up with dirty feet. It was clear that the apartment hadn’t been vacuumed before our arrival.
While packing up I discovered an old sock sneaking out of the couch and to my dismay learnt that it didn’t belong to any of us!
Convenient bus stop located next door
OVERALL EXPERIENCE:
Apart from the cleanliness and cold water issue, we were satisfied with our stay here. The customer service was friendly and helpful. The booking procedure was very easy and efficient. Their team was punctual in handing the keys to us and had a nice manner. The location was wonderful, just a walk away from exclusive areas like Sloane Square, and well-connected to other parts of London. We mostly took Uber’s, which were readily available. There was a convenient bus stop next door, as well as a CO-OP and Tesco Express for stocking up on groceries.
I would certainly return to Ivy Lettings in the future and I recommend their services to anyone looking for an easy rental experience in London; while stressing on the hygiene factor when booking!
Accommodation Rating: 4/5
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Charges: 199 Pounds per night onward
*All pictures of the apartment courtesy: http://www.ivylettings.com
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