Our experience was great! I’ll outline below some considerations that could impact your choice.
Simon, the host/manager, was a fantastic communicator. Because we were arriving during a heatwave, he offered to arrange AC for us. We just requested fans instead, and they were there when we arrived. Those allowed us to keep a perfect sleeping temp. It was a very considerate bonus of our stay.
We chose Bloomsbury based on a friend’s recommendation, and the apartment is just a stones throw from the British Museum, parks, and great restaurants. It is also kinda far from the “hot spots.” So you trade one for the other. We were in London for just 2.5 days and we walked more than 21 miles to get to major sites. Personally, I don’t mind the walking because you stumble upon so many unique sites.
The nightlife around the area is loud with laughter, shouting, drinking, fireworks, etc. It must be really close to a police/ambulance depot because we listened to a lot of sirens. This was honestly only an issue the first evening, just because we are used to quiet countryside. The next two nights, I wore earplugs and didn’t hear much. Also, we did sleep with windows fully open so that may not be an issue with them closed, as the building is thick and well-built.
The building is quiet and very secure.
Compared to other airbnbs we stayed in on this trip, this one isn’t extensively outfitted for cooking on site. Honestly, being in a city, that’s less essential compared to where we stayed in the countryside. So don’t plan on there being olive oil or vinegar or basics like that. For us, not a big deal because we ate out.
The place was clean and simple. I did notify the manager that to me, the memory foam mattress or the linens had the odor of cigarette smoke, which causes me terrible congestion. This isn’t the managers fault at all, if people smoked without permission. And I will say I am extra extra sensitive to the smell, so the average person may not even notice.
In all, a great place to stay where you will feel safe and attended to.