A Central London Stay in Style at City Marque.
Guest Review by Adrian York:
City Marque are a young go-ahead serviced apartment company who have rather bravely offered 100 bloggers the opportunity to try out a flat in Central London for one night only. This is part of a promotional push that has seen them rebranding from being called Boutique London Lets to City Marque.
I have lived in the rather genteel atmosphere of the West London suburbs for most of my life and have never spent a night (that I can remember…) in the centre of town, so the opportunity to have a one night stand with a sleek modern apartment in the West End was too good an opportunity to miss. I’m not a great fan of hotels and often book flats in preference when I go and visit a new city so the idea really appealed to me.
The apartment that I chose was close to all the West End action, situated in a discreet contemporary block in Tottenham St just off the buzz of Tottenham Court Rd. The location is really convenient for Oxford St shopping, London theatre land as well as the creative and gastro hubs of Soho and Fitzrovia. In fact some of London’s hottest restaurants such as Dabbous, Bubbledogs and the Berners Tavern are just a stone’s throw away.
City Marque has created a virtual management system to take care of your needs. You book and are confirmed via email, all the practical info you need is similarly sent to your Inbox, entry and key pick up is via a simple code system but all the time there is 24 hour phone backup if you have any kind of problem. I didn’t have any problems once I had found the internal key box but there was possibly more email communication than strictly necessary.
The two bedroom/bathroom flat itself was freshly cleaned with stylish contemporary furniture and fittings in grey and white with wooden floors. The kitchen had everything you might need from 4 slice toasters to an IPod dock to a washing machine. Everything was as new and worked perfectly with clear instructions. The bathroom was not huge but was well fitted out and toiletries and towels were provided. Most importantly the beds were really comfy and there was lots of wardrobe space!
Following an evening at Soho’s trendiest pizzeria Pizza Pilgrims we retired back to the flat slightly worse for wear and scoffed some of the complementary chocolates that had been left for us in front of the TV. It was a real joy not to have to grab a train or cab. The next morning we strolled back to Soho for a great late breakfast at British deli restaurant Damson and Co. Sadly by the time we had finished it was time to check out but we had really enjoyed our visit and would certainly like to repeat the experience. For anyone wanting to stay in town for work or pleasure, the City Marque apartments should be a really strong option.
P: +44 (0) 3333 11 3333
W: www.citymarque.com
E: info@citymarque.com
Love this concept! Seems like it would be more affordable cause you’re taking the middle man out of the picture (regular hotel employees)…I wonder if more hotels will start moving to this format in the future?
Looks like a place you can call home.
Lovely review! Flats can be a great option for those seeking a home away from home and this sounds like a fabulous recommendation.
Hotels have benefits, but this is exactly what I like..full flat do live there. Sounds like you had fun..I would choose it over a hotel, I think.
Looks like a great hotel I think the concept really works and I wish MORE hotels had this option.. and more cities too. In various parts of LA this would be a great option.