So this was our first time using airbnb, we booked late and we were quite a sizable party so I consider ourselves very lucky to have managed to book Val's place, the alternative would have been three small expensive hotel rooms and instead we got a lovely apartment.
Val was very responsive from our initial engagement, answered all of our questions and left behind a very useful info pack with details on the local amenities and recommended spots to visit.
Check-in and check-out were seamless, her brother arrived on time, showed us around the apartment and was available throughout the stay if we were in need of any advice.
The two story apartment was larger than I expected and more than adequate for the seven of us, in addition to the four bedrooms there was also a lounge , large kitchen, two bathrooms, a laundry room, a conservatory and a outside rooftop terrace with barbecue. The kitchen was well stocked and we had everything we needed to create some lovely meals which we enjoyed eating together in the conservatory, we even managed a barbecue one night once the summer rain eased up.
Traveling into London was easy, would usually take around 10-25 minutes on a single bus journey with routes to West End, Green Park, Oxford Street, and other landmark destinations. We used the underground once, just a 10 minute walk but in the end spent most of our time using the buses as they were more convenient, there is also a mini cab office opposite the apartment for longer journeys or when you have a lot of luggage.
Within walking distance were a couple of supermarkets, traditional London cafe (Andrews) serving all day breakfast which was cheap and delicious, the usual assortment of coffee shops plus a local butcher and a Vietnamese takeaway among others, the area also felt pretty safe for those of you not familiar with that location.
Overall this was just so much better than staying in a hotel particularly if you are in a group of two or more, we were very very happy with our experience, we stayed for seven nights which was long enough for us to visit some of the major attractions, amble through the parks, watch Aladdin at the theatre (great show) and pick up some bargains in the shopping districts.
Thanks Val!!