The studio was smaller than what I envisaged, though I understand it's difficult to capture scale in photographs. Definitely was large enough to accommodate myself. I would only stay here with another person if I was very very comfortable with them.
Being close to East Croydon station was awesome! I flew in from Gatwick, so the studio was about halfway between there and Central London. Central London is only about a 30 minute train ride, and I used it to visit the London museum, as well as other attractions there.
The local pubs were awesome! I visited the Orchard on a Friday night, and everybody was awesome! They even had karaoke, which I was so excited for! Back in Canada, karaoke and open mics were all banned, so it was extremely refreshing to sing again in public! I visited the Oval Tavern on a Monday night. This place advertises itself as a music pub, and they weren't wrong! That night they hosted a SIXTEEN PIECE brass band!! It was so amazing!! I returned the following night for an open mic, and the musicians were so welcoming, and talented. I almost want to come back just to visit that pub again!!!
Croydon is a vibrant city with a TON of street art. If you are in to that kind of thing, I can't recommend checking out this city enough!
There is shopping pretty close, if that's what you're into. I found the shops though didn't sell a lot of "gift" type things. I wanted to get something for a girlfriend, and ended up buying her a giftbox from Lush. There are lots of places to buy high quality sneakers (or running shoes, or trainers, or whatever you call them) and for some reason electronics stores.
The shopping center nearby also has a covid clinic (called Concepto) that I found to be a bit difficult to locate.
The studio itself was also just great. I am so glad that I had a kitchenette! The induction stovetop, and fume hood both worked flawlessly. One night I had blown out my knee, so I was very glad that I was able to order groceries (and ice!), cook them at home, AND watch Netflix on the television. The fridge also has a small freezer, which was crucial!
Laundry was kind of a pain. I'm not used to the small machines and believe I must have over loaded them. I ended up spending 6 or 7 pounds on drying alone!!!! I don't think it would have been as expensive had I split my laundry into smaller loads, though.
The bathroom is a bit cozy. The shower had good heat and excellent pressure. The sink is very small though and close to the wall, so I can a difficult time spitting out toothpaste into it! If I went back, maybe I would see if I could use a cup or something. It's a bit of a pain having to clean toothpaste off the floor because you can't get your mouth over the sink!!!!!
For noise, I only found that I could hear a little bit through the front door. I heard absolutely nothing from the unit beside me, and I think I heard a television, very very low, one or two nights. I didn't find this disturbing at all, and had no difficulty sleeping through it.
End of the day, I would 100% recommend this studio! The price was reasonable, the location is good, and it's self contained enough that if you have to hunker down because you are quarantining (or because you blew out your knee!), it wouldn't be horrible. I would definitely come back!