Overview
First Impressions
The Cozy 1 bedroom apartment in Notting Hill sits on Clarendon Road in one of those classic white-fronted Victorian buildings that make this neighborhood so Instagram-worthy. I’ll be honest — when I first walked up, I was wondering if it would live up to the hype, but there’s something genuinely charming about staying in a proper residential building rather than some sterile hotel block. The entrance feels like you’re visiting a friend who happens to live in one of London’s most coveted postcodes.
The Neighborhood Advantage
You know what struck me most? How incredibly walkable everything is from here. Ladbroke Grove station is literally a five-minute stroll, and you can actually hear the weekend buzz from Portobello Market when the windows are open. The local Tesco Express became my best friend for morning coffee supplies, and there’s this little Lebanese place around the corner that I kept returning to. What I really appreciated was being able to duck into Hyde Park through the quieter Lancaster Gate entrance — it felt like having a massive backyard without the tourist crowds you get near Speaker’s Corner.
The Space Itself
The apartment definitely earns its three-star rating, though I’d say it punches slightly above its weight in terms of character. The room has this cozy, lived-in feeling with decent natural light filtering through those tall Victorian windows. The kitchen is compact but functional — I managed to make proper breakfast most mornings, which honestly saved me a fortune compared to eating out in Notting Hill every day. The bathroom’s small, sure, but the shower pressure was surprisingly good for an older building.
What Works and What Doesn’t
The WiFi held up well for video calls (I had to squeeze in some work), and the heating kept things comfortable even during a particularly damp October week. The bed was firm enough that I wasn’t waking up with a sore back, though the street noise took some getting used to — this is central London, after all. Parking is basically non-existent unless you fancy paying through the nose, but that’s pretty standard for the area. I mean, you really don’t need a car when you’re this well-connected to everything.
Why Guests Love It
What makes this place special isn’t the fancy amenities — it’s the authentic London living experience you get for a fraction of what you’d pay at nearby hotels. You’re genuinely living like a local in Notting Hill, not just passing through. The 7.6 rating feels about right to me; it’s not perfect, but it delivers exactly what it promises. When friends ask about staying somewhere with personality rather than another cookie-cutter hotel, this is the kind of place I’d actually recommend. Just don’t expect hotel-level service — you’re trading that for character and a proper neighborhood experience.
Guest reviews
"Superb"
What could be improved: We were not impressed with Booking.com customer service. I left my purse in the apartment with the keys, phone and wallet in the purse. We only had one set of key. I contacted Booking.com with my husband's cell phone, giving them my name, my email address and phone number so they could identify me since I didn't have the confirmation number for the booking. The emails I received were asking for the same questions that I had already answered. I phoned twice and got an AI agent, asking me for the confirmation number and I asked for a live agent and she just hung up. I just wanted to get a contact number or email address. Since I couldn't get in touch with the owner/agency, we waited for Booking.com to get in touch with me. We had to go to a hotel for the night waiting for a response. The next morning, nothing from Booking.com. We went back to the apartment and phone a locksmith. The hotel was $500 CAN and the locksmith $800. Had we had a better customer service, we would not have to go to all this trouble. I won't recommend Booking.com to anyone.
25 September 2025
"Superb"
The location and neighborhood are perfect, lots of cafés and brunch spots, and it's close to Notting Hill.
5 May 2025
"Would recommend to a friend. Good value."
Very comfortable and clean. Good bed. Lots of space.
What could be improved: The internet was very intermittent for the first few days. Possibly an issue with the provider? Worked 100% for the last 4 days.
8 April 2025
"It was great and I recommend it"
The location is great, the apartment is as on the photos and the host was so kind
What could be improved: The first two days there was a problem with the heating and it was cold. There were only two sheets for four people
23 February 2025
"The people who managed it were great, very responsive and helpful."
Great location. Security of the building.
What could be improved: Hard to adjust the heating so was always way too warm.
12 October 2023
"Great stay in vibrant Notting Hill"
Large place for one person, in a great location, nice patio a bonus.
What could be improved: Some areas could benefit from a bit of maintenance but nothing that was annoying me
11 September 2025
"Good"
The location was super as this apartment is located in Notting Hill, the streets around this area are very nice and calm. Also Portobello road is just 6 min walking distance. The kitchen was well suitable for cooking and preparing the breakfast.
What could be improved: We were very disappointed that when we arrived with my family, 2 adults and 2 children, the apartment was not prepared for us properly. The sofa bed was not made for the kids, no extra blankets, no pillow and no bedlinen were there. We also had only 2 set of towels, not 4. We raised it with the host immediately, but they said that they can no bring us the missing pieces on the day of arrival. This is unacceptable. We were cold as we could not cover our bodies properly during the night.
They brought some of the missing pieces 1 day after the arrival and the pillow only arrived on day 3. They also kept the used towels and bedlinen of the former guest on top of the washing machine, which is an unusual experience for us.
Communicating with the host was very strange as they use both automatic chatbot messages and humans - and it really feels that they don't react to the guests real needs all the time. Overall, not a good experience.
10 April 2024
"Decent size 2 room place in Notting Hill"
We had a great time staying for almost 10 days at the property. It’s a big place (for London standards), with a very well equipped kitchen, good shower, garden patio, and separate living room and bedroom.
The location of the property is right in Notting Hill, so we went to Portobello every morning for coffee.
There are 3 tube stations close enough to walk.
Super safe area of London, friendly corner shop opened until late, and 5 min walk to Holland Park — in 15 min including the tube ride you are in the center of London.
The property owner/team was super friendly and helpful!
What could be improved: The property was clean (!) no complains there, but unfortunately it had a bit of a problem with mould.
Nothing extreme, but something to be aware if you are sensitive to it — not a big deal, just get some nice smelling candles. This is quite a common problem with properties in London (even hotels!), especially if you visit in winter time.
The property owner/team was super friendly and helpful, maybe they will fix this next time!
8 December 2023
"Very good choice for a family travel"
Very good position in Notting Hill. A fantastic place for a family.
29 July 2024
"Grudgingly adequate."
Location was fine. Answering queries on the apartment was generally pretty quick.
What could be improved: Cleanliness first and foremost. Communication on how things worked was poor - could have had simple set of simple questions and answers. Would have been good to have 2 sets of keys for 2 couples sharing. Fridge door does not close very easily for being able to tell it's actually closed or not. Washer/Dryer for clothes - we had clothes in the dryer for over 20 hours drying. That was annoying..........
15 October 2025
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