Overview
First Impressions
I’ll be honest — when I first walked up to Ilford Town Centre Studio on Selborne Road, I wasn’t expecting much from this three-star spot. But you know what? Sometimes the modest places surprise you the most. The building sits right in the heart of Ilford, and there’s something refreshingly straightforward about the whole setup that I actually appreciated.
The Studio Space
The room itself is exactly what it says on the tin — a proper studio that feels more like a mini-apartment than your typical hotel space. There’s a compact kitchenette tucked into one corner, which honestly saved me a fortune on takeaways during my stay. The layout is pretty clever, actually — they’ve managed to fit everything you need without it feeling cramped, though I wouldn’t call it spacious either.
Location Benefits
Here’s where this place really works — you’re smack in the middle of Ilford’s shopping district, which means everything’s walkable. The Exchange shopping center is literally around the corner, and if you need to get into central London, Ilford station is a ten-minute walk. I mean, it’s not the most glamorous neighborhood, but it’s proper convenient and feels safe enough wandering around in the evenings.
Practical Details
The staff keep things simple but friendly — no fuss, just helpful when you need something. I didn’t see a restaurant on-site, but honestly, with that little kitchen setup and all the food options nearby, you don’t really miss it. The Wi-Fi worked fine for my work calls, and the shower had decent pressure, which is more than I can say for some fancier places I’ve stayed.
Why Guests Love It
Look, this isn’t going to win any design awards, but it does exactly what it promises. If you need a clean, functional base in East London without paying central London prices, it’s actually a smart choice. The kitchen means you can grab groceries from the Sainsbury’s down the road and sort yourself out properly. Plus, being outside the tourist zones means you get a real feel for how Londoners actually live.
Guest reviews
"Amazing experience"
The studio was amazing with all the amenities
What could be improved: The entrance of the flat was not fine
21 June 2024
"Good-value, spacious ensuite with kitchen, desk and comfy bed, within easy reach of the town centre."
I had notified an approximate check-in time, and the host was in the area and quickly there when I arrived.
5 July 2025
"We would definitely stay here again next time!"
Excellent value for money and less than a 5 minute walk away from Ilford station. Nice and warm in the property with the use of heated floors! Smart tv, power shower, lots of wardrobe space.
What could be improved: We visited as a couple but the only minor issue is that there was only 1 plate, 1 bowl, 1 glass… there was a plug in camping stove but no pan to cook with. I would suggest if more than one person and staying for a number of days to take these things with you to make the trip easier to self cater. All the equipment is fully working though so this really only a minor thing!
25 November 2024
"Nice apartment good location"
Location was perfect for what we needed it for..host upon arrival was plesent. Apartment it's self was clean, and we did have a few issues that can easily be sorted, so on that basis, we would book here again in the hope that issues were looked into and rectified.
What could be improved: The room was absolutely freezing, we turned the thermostat up to 30 soon as we arrived as we were just dropping our bags off and wanted it to be warm when we got back, but upon returning room was so cold had to sleep in jumper.
Having a shower and getting out with no heating was horrible. Did message hosts about this issue had no response but when come back in was a little warmer than before but still cold we actually borrowed fan heater off frends, as we had no response from message I sent to mobile number given so we don't actually know if they sorted it. As we arrived back late at night and literally got ready to go back out to a family function until early hours, we didn't want to message the host again.
Went to get extra pillows out of wardrobe, and they were old battered and brown with no pillowcase on, was wet towel screwed up in wordrobe. Other people's food in cupboard, kettle was filthy with limescale. Had iron but no ironing board. It's a shame as the actual apartment was very nice and reasonably priced. These issues can easily be sorted,
16 November 2023
"Exceptional"
Very nice and clean apartment with everything what you need for short stay 😊
Very friendly host
27 June 2025
"It's a happy stay."
It's à place with all the comfort and peace. All the necessary requirements were available for a good holiday.
What could be improved: Nothing.
16 May 2024
"Can't really expect more considering the price"
The location was really good. It was quiet, and having the entire unit to myself was the best part
What could be improved: The posting stated that there would be a washing machine in the unit, but there wasn't. I also found tiny worms in the bed. There is a skylight in the bathroom and when it rains, it leaks and drops on the floor. I tried to contact the host to close the skylight and didn't get any response. Overall, more cons than pros
31 August 2025
"Not great"
Room was big and so was the TV , decent underfloor heating.
What could be improved: No toilet roll, 1 towel between 2 people, not an apartment as advertised, dangerous area,not a garden just a mess outside the door .. unfinished building and just genuinely unsafe environment
10 December 2023
"Not Good!"
Nothing really apart from having a roof over my head that’s it!
What could be improved: Everything!!!
Booking.com and Airbnb need to investigate this property as soon as possible!
This is not acceptable to rent this property the way that it was presented!
Run down property, needing a lot of TLC, roller blind broken, and had to be removed and rolled manually to open windows, front door was covered by a cheap roller blind, Tv unit was all smashed up, TV did not have the controller for fire stick, bed was layed on rocks, the top window on the roof had some funky ways to be covered, the kitchen was dirty and under equipped, it was a total disgrace, I would not even be giving this house to homeless person, it outrageous that it is even on the market and this needs to be seriously investigated!!!
18 August 2024
"Nettes im Hinterhof gelegenes Studio mit gutem Preis-Leistungsverhältnis."
Sehr unkomplizierte schnelle Kommunikation, warme Wohnung mit Fußbodenheizung, gemütliches Bett, TV mit Streamingdiensten, ruhige Lage im Hinterhof
What could be improved: Mangel an alternativen Lichtquellen, da Deckenbeleuchtung sehr hell
18 December 2023
