Staying at James' flat was one of the best decisions I have made during my time in London so far. I needed an interim place before my permanent tenancy kicks in, and this property just happened to be very close to the final destination, which helped me with the choice. As it turned out, the choice was more than right =).
James is a very nice and gracious host. Not turned off by the absence of formal reviews on my account, he agreed to let me full access to this flat, which is actually his own, so it has a lot of personal touch and personal items. I was amazed by the quality of communication, willingness to answer any questions and the whole trust I was met with.
James provides very flexible check-in and check-out options, and his friend who met me at a late hour to pass me the keys was also more than helpful, he even agreed to help me bring my things up to the flat.
The flat itself feels quite chic, with absolutely great kitchen appliances and fancy devices like a projector and vinyl player. I never got to use them, but James was more than encouraging in this respect, willing to help with any potential issue or question, albeit from abroad. But who needs a TV or a projector when you have a floor-to-ceiling, all-wall-wide window with a breathtaking view of the central London? You can see everything, from Canary Wharf to The Shard, and this kind of view alone is worth spending time at James'.
In terms of view, the master bedroom might be an even better place, with windows allowing you to observe almost 270 degrees around you. A spacious room, with a double bed, a large fit-in wardrobe with a nice built-in lights and an actual desk you could use to work (unless the view behind the monitor is too distracting =)), it even has an en suite bathroom with a shower. Quite convenient if you ask me =)
I spent more than two weeks at James' apartment, caught a magnificent view of the London's New Year fireworks - and almost didn't want to leave in the end, so you could say I was more than happy to be there. But if you want some nitpicking to stop doubting whether a place so good could actually exist, here's my top of "worst of the worst" of what you can experience there:
- This place is cleaned by an outside staff, so in case they slacked on your particular shift, you might have some odd fluffs of dust here and there. There are also a robot vacuum and a traditional handheld vacuum available, but I didn't find them too convenient so I used my own robot vacuum to keep the place tidy while I was there
- There are no shelves in the shower cabin, so you'd have to put your stuff on the floor. I had some suction cups with hooks with me, so I managed to remedy that during my stay
- The bed might be creaky a bit. But I'm a big (100+kg) guy, so anything creaks under me =). YMMV
- The fitted wardrobe next to the entrance door (which you might want to use to hang your jacket) is jammed with James' personal stuff, so there's not much space left. Take that into account if you have a dozen jackets which you absolutely must have at hand near the entrance door =)
- There is no standard toaster in the kitchen. There's a similar device, but it might not be for everyone. Luckily, I bought mine and used it during my stay
- The most controversial part is probably the heating/ventilation. The flat has a built-in air circulation system, and there are outlets in every room. During my stay it was pretty cold outside, and the air coming from those outlets was veeery chilly. I like cold in general, but even for me it was a bit too much sometimes. James was very responsive and acknowledging, but I guess it's beyond his power, as this is how the building is created. Luckily, each room has separate temp control and everything is heated from underfloor. I found the entrance hall and the kitchen/reception much more comfortable climate-wise. Still, on warmer days I sometimes even felt like opening a window there, to make the air in the rooms slightly fresher =)
Here's it basically. Like I said, that place has much more pros than it has cons, although if you are a fan of very high indoor temperatures then visiting James in winter might not be the most convenient experience =). But for the rest, I'm sure it will be fantastic, no kidding about it.