Overview
First Impressions
10 Mins Walk to The Oval, The Kennington Retreat caught my attention immediately — not just because of that wonderfully honest name, but because it actually delivers on the promise. This apartment-style accommodation sits on a quiet residential street in Kennington, and honestly, you’d walk right past it thinking it’s just another Victorian terrace house. That’s part of its charm, really.
The Neighborhood Feel
Kennington isn’t touristy at all, which I mean as a compliment. You’re staying where actual Londoners live, shop, and grab their morning coffee. There’s a proper local pub around the corner, and the small grocery stores along Kennington Road have that neighborhood feel you can’t fake. The walk to London Bridge or Westminster actually gives you a nice sense of the city’s rhythm — something you miss when you’re staying right in the thick of tourist central.
The Space Itself
What surprised me most was how thoughtfully everything’s been set up inside. The kitchen isn’t just for show — it’s got everything you need if you want to cook a proper meal, which is rare for this type of place. The room feels more like staying at a friend’s flat than a typical hotel, with enough space to actually unpack and settle in. The Wi-Fi works perfectly (I tested it extensively), and the shower pressure is honestly better than what I have at home.
Getting Around
The Oval cricket ground really is about ten minutes away on foot, and if you’re visiting during cricket season, you’ll hear the crowd from the apartment on match days. Kennington tube station is even closer — maybe five minutes — which puts you on the Northern line straight into central London. What I didn’t expect was how easy it is to walk to places like Borough Market or even across to Tate Modern. The location works because it’s connected but not chaotic.
Why Guests Love It
This four-star place gets a 9.4 rating because it does something simple really well — it gives you a genuine London experience without the tourist markup. You’re not paying for a fancy lobby or a restaurant you’ll never use. Instead, you get a clean, comfortable base that feels like home, with the kind of local access that makes you feel like you’ve discovered something. The host clearly knows what travelers actually need, and there’s parking available if you’re brave enough to drive in London — though honestly, you won’t need to once you’re here.
Guest reviews
"Our Awesome Stay in London"
Wow, this flat in London was just amazing! We showed up and the place was super clean, like spotless—big props to the cleaning crew. They had everything we needed ready to go, and if we wanted anything extra, there were grocery stores just a quick walk away.
The location? Couldn’t be better. Tons of cool coffee shops, tasty restaurants, and Kennington Park (which is awesome, especially if you’ve got kids) are all super close. Oh, and the restaurant at the park was delicious!
The host was a rockstar—always quick to reply and just really nice. We were running a bit late on checkout the last day, and they were totally cool about it. Honestly, this place was perfect. Great vibes, killer location, and awesome hosts. Would 100% recommend!
What could be improved: Honestly nothing we didn't like about our experience
4 July 2025
"Amazing location, beautiful property, very clean and perfect for groups."
The house is absolutely beautiful and looks exactly like the photos. Plenty of room for 10 of us to stay in and the garden was lovely to eat dinner outside. Perfect location and lovely area.
I messaged the host the day before check in asking if they had Prosecco glasses and they replied saying they’ve ordered some new ones which will arrive by the time we check in! Amazing!
What could be improved: NA - it was perfect!
3 June 2025
"Exceptional"
Very clean and tidy apartment with small garden. Very quite surrounding perfect for family. Just few minutes walk from Kennington tube station.
29 April 2025
"Lovely stay"
Lovely house in a pretty central area of London. We would definitely stay again, it was quiet at night and felt safe.
4 January 2025
"A great location from which to explore London City Centre."
The hosts were extremely helpful and friendly. I absolutely loved the guidebook (app with all the information one could possibly need) provided by the Nexi Team. The house was clean and comfy for the seven of us. We were also accommodated on our request for a later check-out. Being so close to Kennington Underground Station was very convenient. I can definitely recommend this property!
31 December 2024
"Great house with all the amenities to enable a comfortable stay for the family."
The property had everything we needed, even some of the small touches like washing up liquid, oil and salt & pepper. The rooms were a good size and the beds very comfortable.
What could be improved: There were a lot of stairs which was a little bit difficult for my elderly mother, but fine overall.
28 December 2024
"Exceptional"
Beautiful townhouse with plenty of space for our group of nine friends. Really easy access to the underground.
2 December 2024
"Fantastic stay we all really enjoyed it."
Great location, very clean and tidy, great facilities, amazing helpful staff.
4 November 2024
"Pleasure to stay at this spacious townhouse that was well presented."
Clean, comfortable, located close to train station. Great communication with Nexi staff who allowed us early and late luggage storage and continually checked if everything was going well. Would stay there again and recommend to others. Thanks again!
What could be improved: Everything was great.
7 October 2024
"Ideal location and very comfortable venue."
Nice comfortable home with all the facilities needed.A few minutes walk from shops and tube station so it was the ideal venue if you wanted to move around London .No issues accessing the place and regular communicatiin with any updates and checking how things were.
What could be improved: Can't really think of anything.
24 September 2024
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