Youcef's place is a total gem with the best host! For us, the highlights included the bright spacious accommodations with stylish decor and the absolutely fantastic location, which was a surprise (to us) bonus.
First on the accommodations. Youcef's place is 2 levels and is set up PERFECTLY for a family, group of friends, or 2 families traveling together. First of all, this has every vacationing parent's great of DOORS that close between sleeping, dining, and living areas (other than one lofted sleeping area) for maximum privacy and rest for all. Upstairs is a huge primary sweet with a large picture window overlooking the rooftops of putney toward the Thames. It could not be more charming. The suite has more closet space than any traveler could possibly use, a separate dressing area, a desk ideal for business travel, and a large bathroom that's recently redone and very clean with dual heads (rain showerhead and removable showerhead). Great shower pressure. Shower stocked with shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and even Cetaphil baby wash, which was such a nice touch. The bed and bedding were super comfortable and quality as well as stylish, and there were plenty of towels set out in a cute basket. Little touches everywhere were thoughtful and gave you all of the conveniences of home and luxuries of a hotel (tons of drawer space and hangers as well as a makeup mirror, plenty of extra supplies, lovely diffusers, etc.). Every detail attended to and super clean.
On the first floor is another very modern bathroom in similar decor (subway tile, bath/shower combo) and a full guest room off the main hallway. Through another (closing!) door off the main hallway is the living and dining area as shown in the photos, the kitchen, and the stairs up to the lofted sleeping area. The main living and dining area are hugely spacious and comfortable--the couch is dreamy. The TV, which we didn't spend much time watching, was nice to have a fully set up with all of the usually smart TV apps plus standard channels. I loved the variety of glassware and books available to kick back! The dining table was lovely for enjoying breakfast each morning with a view of the prettiest neighborhood. Finally, the kitchen is super well-stocked, well-planned, and once again very stylish. Coffee, tea, fridge, washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge, stove, oven, microwave, electric kettle--you can do it all in this kitchen!
Up the stairs from the living room is the loft where our kids LOVED sleeping in twin beds under a skylight. This is also a fairly large area but feels cozy under the eaves. There's a desk and a stand for hanging clothes. Super cute and cozy, just perfect for vacation with kids or the ideal place to grab an afternoon nap for an adult curling up with a book on a rainy day. ;)
What surprised us most was the location! We were deciding between Youcef's place and a hotel in central London for about the same price. No competition. This location is actually MUCH better and in so many ways a million times easier to get around. It's a quick walk to many stations (Overground, Underground, Southwest) so we went everywhere in London on the train, no problem, and we went to Windsor for the day the same way. About 20 mins to Waterloo downtown from the Putney station and about 25 mins to Windsor Castle. Can't beat it. Everything just felt EASY and relaxing staying here, and we had the space to spread out in a beautiful home. As a result, this was a much lovelier vacation than we'd have had in a small hotel room in London. Putney itself is also gorgeous and has so much to offer. Steps from the flat are 2 different supermarkets (Sainsbury), even specialty stores (we went to the South African markets), a ton of bakeries (we loved Bakehouse), delicious restaurants (MaGoa for Indian, Al Forno for Italian), great coffee (Artisan), and so so much more. If you need a Covid test to fly home, London Medical School right on Upper Richmond Road, a short walk, offers walk-ins for the best price we found and it's very easy.
Youcef was an amazing host and went above and beyond in communicating with us and helping us while we were there. Highest recommendation for host, location, and place! We look forward to returning.