In many ways this is a gem of a place—both its location and the treasures within. It was remarkably convenient to be able to see shows in the West End and then have a short walk home rather than fighting for a taxi or riding the tube late at night. Inside the house, there is much to admire, from antique books and furnishings to paintings, colorful rooms, and the masterful Harry Potter bedroom, where we enjoyed reading Harry Potter books each night to our youngest child.
This property would be more pleasant to reside in, however, when the daytime temperatures do not exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23 Celsius), because there is no central air conditioning. The highs during our stay ranged from 75-90 degrees Fahrenheit (24-32 Celsius). The two small bedrooms on the fifth floor got stifling hot, even with windows left open. It was better once Nathan provided electric fans for each bedroom the our second night, but still uncomfortable for sleep until the early morning hours.
The master bedroom has a portable air conditioning unit, which was not installed upon our arrival. We ended up reading the installation instructions ourselves online and jerry-rigged it to work with some assistance from the housekeeper, who showed up unannounced even though we had asked Nathan to have her call or text in advance so we would be home to meet with her.
Nathan was prompt and polite in his correspondence, but attributed our discomfort to the heat itself, rather than the fact that the house was not yet adequately prepared for such heat.
Note that in our experience the bedroom advertised as having a “double” bed could only fit one person comfortably, as its mattress size seemed to be the same as or quite similar to that of the bunk beds.
Overall, we enjoyed our trip to London and having a lovely, central location from which to explore.