Overview
First Impressions
Walking up to Portobello Dock Canalside Apartment on Harrow Road, I honestly wasn’t expecting much from the street view. But you know what? Sometimes the best places hide behind the most unassuming facades. This four-star apartment sits right on the canal, and once you get inside and see those water views, everything clicks into place.
The Canalside Setting
The location is actually pretty brilliant if you think about it. You’re technically in Kensington and Chelsea — which sounds fancy — but you’re on this quieter stretch where the Paddington branch of the Grand Union Canal winds through. I mean, London canals aren’t exactly Venice, but there’s something oddly peaceful about watching the narrowboats drift by from your window. The Westway thunders overhead in the distance, which reminds you you’re still very much in the city, but honestly it becomes white noise after a while.
Inside the Space
The room itself feels more like staying in someone’s actual home than a typical hotel setup. There’s a proper kitchenette (not just a kettle and mini-fridge situation), which came in handy when I grabbed groceries from the Sainsbury’s down the road. The décor won’t win any design awards — it’s pretty standard modern furnishings — but everything works and it’s clean. The bed was comfortable enough, though the canal-facing windows can get a bit bright in the morning if you forget to close the curtains properly.
Getting Around
Here’s where this place actually shines — you’re about a 10-minute walk to Westbourne Park tube station, which gets you into central London without too much hassle. But more importantly, you can walk to Portobello Market in about 15 minutes, which is perfect for weekend browsing. The neighborhood has this interesting mix of social housing and million-pound canal-side developments, so you get a real slice of modern London life. There’s decent parking on the street if you’re driving, though you’ll need to figure out the residents’ permits situation.
Why Guests Love It
Look, this isn’t going to be the most Instagram-worthy place you’ll ever stay, but it delivers on the basics really well. The canal views give you something different from the typical London hotel experience, and having that kitchen means you can actually save some money on meals — which matters when everything else in London costs a fortune. The 8.2 rating makes sense to me; it’s solid, reliable, and offers good value for what you’re paying in this part of town. Plus, there’s something kind of romantic about falling asleep to the gentle lapping of canal water, even if you’re sharing the waterway with the occasional shopping trolley.
Guest reviews
"Loved our stay!"
- Great location close proximity to London attractions
- Beautiful spacious apartment
- Comfy bed / sofa
- Nice views of the canal
- Easy access, bottom floor
- Friendly staff / porters
- Parking provided
What could be improved: - Instructions on how to enter/park could have been a little more informative
- Entrance to the gate requires you to pull car in front of oncoming traffic and wait for the gate to be opened by the porter
- The apartment was clean, there was a section of the kitchen counter that was sticky though
- Toaster levers are broken but you can still use the toaster
3 December 2025
"Great stay to connect with Wembley"
great space and location! bus stop jus tin front of the door, metro some 20min walk. very nice and cosy neighborhood. comfortable double bed. very easy to communicate with the host - almost instant reply.
What could be improved: the only downside for us, was that the moment we would open a door - there would be a Siam? cat coming - it would also try to come in inside but also wouldn't be happy if we tried to go outside (yes we are not cat people, and just not sure what to expect form them). probably good for other people, but we werent aware that there is a possibility to encounter a cat inside the property (since the yard also part of it).
9 September 2025
"Lovely little apartment"
We liked the location and it being canalside. It was lovely to sit outside. The bed was comfortable and everything we needed was provided such as tea towels, toilet roll, shower gel and shampoo. The boiler was showing low pressure so we couldn't have a shower as there was no hot water but this was rectified on the same day.
What could be improved: We found it a little strange that there was only a TV in the bedroom and not in the communal area. The kids top and tailed on the sofa bed but we would have likes maybe a single pull out bed or z bed so they could sleep separately. Also, we couldn't turn the radiator off in the bathroom and it was 31°C. But this is us just being picky! It was a lovely little apartment.
29 June 2025
"Super secure apartment, great location, great price!"
Loved the secure parking and the calm of being able to open the doors and feed the ducks. Ten minute walk to Kensal Green Underground station. We would definitely stay again.
What could be improved: Blocked/ slow wash basin.
27 April 2025
"Good"
Loved the flat , nice and spacious .
Lovely being by the river and being able to see many wild birds.
Home was lovely and warm when we arrived .
Loved the high ceilings.
What could be improved: There was a plumbing issue that was flagged as an emergency in the morning. ( blocked sinks and leaking water all over the floor)
I saw that they read the message but , no one messaged until 6pm in the evening..
Luckily it stopped before we went out or it would have ruined the whole day.
We tried calling multiple times but no one picked up!
This was disappointing 😞
A plumber came at 9.15 pm at night to fix the issue once we were back home.
It's a shame about this aspect as apart from lack of support it was a nice stay.
Communication was poor in this instance.
But the flat lovely on the whole .
17 February 2025
"Would happily stay here again - hard to find something this pleasant in London for the price"
Apartment was exactly as in the photos - opening onto a grassy patch right on the canal, nice modern furnishings, good sized rooms and everything we needed in terms of kitchen equipment. The parking space was a real bonus, and I also used the Bakerloo line which was 10-15 mins walk away. Massive Sainsburys 5 mins walk.
What could be improved: No real complaints
9 January 2024
"Greatly connected location, charming apartment with the view on the green little garden and canal"
Location of the flat is really well connected to the center. Nearby there is a huge Sainsbury - just a walking distance for any grocery shopping needed. Very comfortable was availability of the basic kitchen supply - tea, coffee, kakao, spices, as well as all cleaning chemistry and accessories! In the bathroom - shampoo, gel, toilet paper supplied - perfect not to think about those stuff and wasting time during your holiday.
What could be improved: The garden is great but it was a little bit of a surprise that it is publicly available for other neighbours what results in people walking right behind your bedroom window or sitting at your tarrace door eating breakfast - good to have the curtains closed to not be surprised. Or at least the information about that could be clearly stated in the apartment description, to not be surprised :)
12 August 2023
"Nice stay for few days"
Good looking secured area. It was close to bus stop and Sainsbury’s, which was convenient for us. Neighbourhood was quiet and good looking as well. The apartment was clean and I appreciated the appliances in the kitchen, clean towels and cosmetics in the bathroom. Security guards were always nice and helpful.
What could be improved: This isn’t the owner’s fault, but I feel it’s worth mentioning. I really didn’t appreciate the number of large spiders at the property. I didn’t see this mentioned in any review, otherwise I wouldn’t have booked it since I’m afraid of them. I only went outside once, as there were many of them around the door. The main issue, however, was that they were also inside.
Also the bed was pretty small and hard. I slept there with my husband and child, my father in law was in the living room and had no problem sleeping on the couch though.
24 September 2025
"Nice flat in a good location with secure parking"
nice location and secure parking
23 June 2025
"Very good"
Location, parking lot and gated security are amazing, the landlord is friendly and reply to the message promptly.
19 May 2025
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