We think Andrea's flat in Shepherd's Bush is the primary reason our London (from USA) trip was a success. Having never been to England, we had a few concerns about this spot--street noise, neighborhood amenities and safety, the condition of the apartment, and proximity to mass transit. My concerns ended up being completely unfounded and we loved the place.
My concerns before arriving:
Street Noise. With an address directly across from Westfield Mall and a bus stop, I was afraid it would be loud. But this spot is in the basement facing the back of the property. We stayed for 6 days (Wed-Tue) and never heard any noises in the night, even over the weekend.
Neighborhood Amenities and Safety. We now LOVE Shepherd's Bush. We ate at an Indian restaurant in the mall once. We went to one of the two corner pubs almost every night - The Green and Defectors Weld were about a block away. The area is full of great Sudanese, Halal, and other middle eastern/east African restaurants. There was a money exchange nearby, a grocery store (Sainsbury), a dollar store (Pound Crazy), Starbucks, Costa Coffee, even a KFC/McDs/Taco Bell. The park nearby has a cute playground and plenty of shade. All in all, the neighborhood is close to the city center without feeling like you're staying in a touristy spot. We were tourists of course, but it felt like we were the only ones in the area. The apartment has a gate, followed by a code to enter the building, followed by a key door downstairs. We felt safe in the area and in the house.
Apartment Condition. The flat feels like one of those Ikea showrooms. We were two adults and a 13 year old. The bedroom with the en suite bathroom is where my wife and I stayed. There is plenty of space to unpack your things, but not to leave your luggage out and open on the floor. You'll find yourself walking around each other in the bedroom. The other bedroom is much larger and where we kept our empty luggage. The showers were great. We never ran out of hot water and the pressure was always high. No issues with the toilets or sinks. We LOVED the common area. It was much larger than we expected, with plenty of space for the three of us to hang out. Your American plugs only work in two or three spots in the house (both bathrooms and one of the kitchen plugs). There are plenty of other plugs and extension cords, of course we brought adapters. The internet was fast for anything we wanted to do and never had lagging problems watching Netflix. We watched Netflix/Prime from Andrea's tv and account in the evenings together on the two couches, we ate breakfast every morning before heading out to explore. My wife wanted to take one of the tea cups, she loved it so much. We used the refrigerator, microwave, and stove every day. We used the laundry once (didn't fully dry our clothes, but got the job done), and never used the dishwasher or espresso machine. We didn't utilize the outdoor space, but it is absolutely essential to keeping the basement flat from feeling like you're in the basement. This place is perfect for 4 people with space for a 5th with a pull-out bed. Great for a family of 5, but I think 5 adults would get in each other's way.
Proximity to Mass Transit. We found this spot to be very convenient. There are two underground Shepherd's Bush stations. One is 5 minutes from the flat, the other is about 10 minutes from the flat. The busses ended up being great. You could catch the 148 to Westminster right outside the apartment. Using Google Maps for mass transit directions was very reliable and we got to all the places we needed to get to without any issue. We only traveled to your typical tourist spots--Tower of London, Abbey Road, Buckingham Palace, Victoria Station to catch our bus tours---we preferred the bus because of its proximity to the flat as well as the views from the double-decker. Most rides were about 30-45 minutes to anywhere we wanted to go.
If you're looking for a spot to host a bachelorette party or college party, I don't think this is the place for you. Everywhere nearby feels like a neighborhood. Pubs were never jumping with party-goers, kitchens closed around 9, etc. The flat feels like you're in a home, not a hotel, so I wouldn't feel comfortable getting rowdy in this apartment (quiet hours start at 11p). Andrea was excellent and responsive. We only spoke to him via WhatsApp and AirBnB chat, but when we needed things, he had them waiting at the door when we got home in the evenings. 5 Star stay, thanks for everything!