Overview
First Impressions
Holborn Central London Beautiful One Bedroom Flat sits on a quiet street that feels refreshingly removed from London’s tourist chaos, yet you’re still right in the thick of things. Walking up to 43 Old Gloucester Street, I was struck by how this four-star property manages to feel both central and residential — honestly, it’s one of those addresses that locals would actually choose to live on. The building itself has that classic London character without being overly fussy about it.
Location & Neighborhood
Camden might be famous for its markets and punk history, but this particular corner is much more sophisticated than people expect. You’re a genuine five-minute walk from Russell Square (perfect for morning jogs, by the way), and the British Museum is so close you could pop over multiple times during your stay. I mean, who does that at home? The surrounding streets have that lovely mix of Georgian architecture and modern coffee shops that makes London feel both historic and completely livable.
The Apartment
The apartment itself surprised me with how thoughtfully laid out everything was — this isn’t just a hotel room with a mini-fridge calling itself self-catering. The kitchen actually has proper counter space and decent cookware, which matters when you want to grab fresh ingredients from the local markets. The bedroom feels generous for London standards, and there’s enough storage that you won’t be living out of your suitcase the entire time.
Practical Details
What I really appreciated were the little things that show someone was thinking about actual guests, not just filling a space with furniture. The WiFi works properly (tested extensively, obviously), and the shower has decent pressure — you know how hit-or-miss that can be in older London buildings. The building’s entrance feels secure without being intimidating, and while there’s no dedicated parking, you’re in Zone 1 London where you honestly don’t want a car anyway.
Why Guests Love It
Here’s the thing about this place — it strikes that perfect balance between having your own space and being connected to everything London offers. You can walk to Covent Garden for dinner, catch a show in the West End, then come back to a quiet street where you can actually get some sleep. The 8.1 rating makes complete sense when you experience how the location works in practice; you’re not paying tourist-trap prices for meals because you can easily wander into neighborhoods where actual Londoners eat and shop. It’s the kind of base that makes a London trip feel less like a checklist and more like you’re actually experiencing the city.
Guest reviews
"Very good"
Great location, lots of space. Greta to have access to washer dryer. Toiletries, washing powder, coffee and sugar etc provided 😀
What could be improved: Kitchen could do with a bowl, oven tray and toaster as set fire alarm off using the grill to make toast.
Have an iron but no ironing board.
Skylight in bedroom lights up room very early.
No tv in lounge
All of the above would have just made the stay better it did not ruin the stay by any means.
27 May 2025
"Good"
Location
What could be improved: No TV
3 November 2025
"Very good"
Well equipped in the middle of the city
What could be improved: The third bed wasn't comfortable
27 October 2025
"Superb"
Excellent location, comfy and spacious flat done up to a good standard. Lots of shops and restaurants nearby, nice safe street to walk down and 5 mins from Holborn tube station and the central line. Really easy to get to places both for work (and if sight seeing). Would definitely use this as a regular place to stay when down for work.
What could be improved: Flat wasn't ready when I got there. Does seem to be a common theme that previous people leave late and that the agreed time for check in and check out slip. That said I could get into the property, the cleaner came and did an excellent job of cleaning (it had been left very tidy by previous people). Could do with some glasses, not just mugs, and bowls not just plates. All minor issues as overall it's a lovely property and I'll definitely use it whenever I can.
26 September 2025
"Excellent location, clean and spacious. Good value for money"
Excellent location for everything.. Very central. Clean and spacious. Comfortable beds. Plenty of toiletries and cleaning products. Would highly recommend. Easy key location and excellent notifications.
What could be improved: Could do with a toaster (for ease and quickness) and a couple of glasses.
14 November 2025
"If you’re searching for the perfect place, this is the one!"
Everything! Everything was so perfect. It’s really a big apartment with two bathrooms and in a perfect location! You’re close to everything.
What could be improved: Nothing
22 July 2025
"Perfect location and close to all amenities, extremely clean and well maintained property"
Great location, quiet and close to where we needed to go. Very spacious and clean
What could be improved: Nothing!
1 June 2025
"Nice location"
Clean and modern , near holborn tube station
What could be improved: Nothing to complain about
20 April 2025
"Spacious, but run down and not well managed, which caused us some stress when vacationing."
The location was perfect. Super close to a lot of public transportation and it seemed like a very safe area. The apartment itself was very spacious and allowed me to almost have a bit of separation from the 2 people I came with.
What could be improved: The pictures make the apartment look better than it is. Everything just looked a bit run down in person. The cookware, the furniture, the shower, even the walls. You can tell the apartment is very much thought of as a second thought room to spare, might as well make some money off it. But, there’s not much care given to it, just superficial cleaning. There was little to no communication with whoever is in charge of the place. We never received the code to get the keys. When we got to the listing at 11:30 (which was okay’d with the owner before my trip) to drop off our bags because check in was at 3, I tried messaging and got no response. I tried knocking and the people who had stayed there prior to us were still there…They were the ones who handed us the keys. They stated they could never get a hold of the owner either and had been told they could stay there up until 2 when they had booked the listing. They were only told they had to leave by 10, the day before they left and had hoped they the could stay until the owner got there to hand him the keys personally. I tried calling the owner and he seemed very unbothered by everything and told us we could just keep the keys and he would be coming soon to clean while we left to go do our plans. The main front door lock is broken and jerry rigged with tape, so when we tried to unlock the door when we got back, late at night, the key got stuck both nights we were there. Again, I tried messaging and got no response. I basically had to shimmy the key out each time for 5 minutes, each time, and caused me to stress out each time. I cannot speak on how the main bed felt, but my 2 compatriots stated it was uncomfortable. The sofa bed I slept on was big, but extremely stiff. The shower heads were full of limescale buildup. It can do with a good cleanup or if that’s too much work, replace them.
12 September 2025
"AVOID this place ! Not worth the money! Rude host!"
Location was good, but that was the only good thing!
What could be improved: Here is the long list:
- access details into the apartment were received later in the day (after c.in time)
- when called @1PM (c.in time), the host did not pick up the phone at 1st... eventually he answered and said he will arrive in 10min but it took him good 40' to arrive. The apartment was not cleaned yet. He was very rude, explaining he had some other jobs to do in the meanwhile. Asked us to wait 15min until he will clean the apartment !!! When I asked him, what kind of cleaning he can do in 15' and simply said: "If you do not like it, you can go and I will refund the money!!"
That was UNACCEPTABLE !!!
I gave him 1h for a good cleaning... upon return, the apartment was cleaned... and we stayed.
- the building is nearly collapsing - stinks on the hallway!
- apartment is on the ground floor - windows so dirty (full of dust) you could be see outside.
- not equiped with glasses, plates etc (Only 4x tea cups and 4x large plates).
- sofa in the living room - worn out - uncomfortable to sleep
- bedroom: bed with very soft mattress
- bathroom: mold around the shower tray and tiles; no hooks to hang towels/cloths
- bedroom had a door to an outside terrace. The door had a slit and air/wind could get inside...
The whole apartment is crap considering the money we paid.
AVOID this place and look for something decent !
3 October 2025
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