I have my own apartment in London, how fancy does that sound? Especially for a constant traveller like me, the mere thought of having a nice place to myself with different rooms, privacy, a decent working desk and wifi was my own kind of heaven. And then it was in London of all places. I’d say a pretty amazing start to a great day of exploring. So why should you treat yourself to a rented apartment instead of a hotel room?
Rented London Apartment vs Hotel Room
My number one reason for renting an apartment is the bonus of privacy and a kitchen. In hotel rooms, you rely on breakfast times (no sleeping in, boohoo), cannot make a quick lunch or dinner to save some money or stay in after a long day walking about and it’s generally tinier. Both is fine but to get work done, a bigger room with a nice lounge area and a work desk can boost your productivity.
I remember when I was little, my parents would always rent an apartment or bungalow during our holidays to allow for independent travel. This way we generally didn’t meet other travellers, but to me that was perfectly fine. I am an introvert and love to recharge my batteries away from people and small talk was perfect for me.
And this time around I had a nice London apartment all to myself with SACO apartments in Canary Wharf and the first thing I did, naturally, was to throw myself on the bed. Because I am acing #adulting. (Come on, you’d do the same). Then, I connected my electronics to the wifi (workaholic mode; again #adulting) and checked out my other rooms. Yes, I had several rooms: a corridor, a bathroom, a bed room and a living room with kitchen area.
Facilities
In both the living and bed room there was a TV but since I came here to work, I unfortunately could not tune into Brit TV or double check if I would understand the appeal of Coronation Street now that I am older and have developed a more serious addiction to never-ending TV series. Maybe next time.
The kitchen is wonderfully equipped with an oven, dishwasher, laundry machine, detergents and a small breakfast kit (muslis, coffee, tea, sugar, iced water and milk in the fridge). As you would expect in a kitchen, it had all the utensils I needed to prepare food. Plus, everything was super neatly laid out next to another (OCD heart, rejoice).
The bathroom had plenty of towels and my new favourites, the L’Occitane toiletries. I instantly fell in love with their smell and my hair hasn’t been this smooth and felt so healthy in a long while. So that was awesome. In case you need some more information on the apartment and the area, there was a handy folder on the table to rummage through and the reception is occupied 24/7.
Location
Getting here was a tad tricky. I arrived at 10pm at London Heathrow and took the Piccadilly line to Green Park and changed to Jubilee Line, getting off at Canary Wharf. I had actually considered changing into the DLR line there but that seriously wouldn’t have given me a big time difference and so I walked. After an hour on the underground a mere 10 minute walk was nothing.
Outside the exit I turned left and walked into and through a glass building, over the bridge and along the pier until the first street on the right, then crossed the street and turned right at the first crossing. I crossed the street again and chose the diagonal path on the opposite side, which leads you straight to the round Trinity Tower. And there it is! (Having the free maps.me app really helped me when I didn’t have wifi access)
The location is a bit outside of the city centre but if you have ticked off all the touristy things and want to get some peace and quiet and explore Canary Wharf, the Docklands and Greenwich, this is perfect. I really liked the vicinity to the underground and the wonderful modern area. From my super long balcony I could even see the Maritime Museum.
Conclusion
I loved my temporary apartment in London and would definitely recommend staying here, especially if you are a business or independent traveller (even better when you travel with a partner). The price is not the most affordable one but with the location, the level of independence and space it is fair.
My London apartment was kindly sponsored by SACO apartments, but, as always, my opinion is entirely my own.
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