Got the urge for beans on toast?
TravelMole MD Graham McKenzie might stay in some of the world’s swankiest hotels, but he still has a craving for the most basic British grub.
How often when you are away do you get that ‘beans on toast’ moment? That time in your stay away from home when all you want to do is sit on the sofa and have beans on toast for your tea. I get to maybe about the third night and I am beanz meanz Heinz man.
Normally you just have to put up with it, and you are not likely to get a lot of sympathy from those at home when you say you have to go out to a restaurant to eat. Well, in London there are some very good cost-effective alternatives when your accommodation can, in fact, act as a remote extension to your own domestic bliss.
Not for the first time, I was recently able to avail myself of a room/apartment at Citadines, this time in Kensington. Citadines offers facilities throughout Europe and via its sister brands, Somerset and Ascott, throughout the world.
In each case the formula is the same as they offer the privacy of your own apartment, but the convenience of a hotel. The Kensington aparthotel is ideally situated about 200 yards from the underground network but walking distance to all that this area of London has to offer, including the museum district and, for shopping, Harrods and other top stores.
Our room was a one-bedroom apartment with a sitting room, small kitchenette downstairs and a king-sizedbed and bathroom upstairs – marvellous. Staying only one night I decided to swerve the beans but slept like a log. In the morning I showered like a dolphin and was ready for Harrods. Even though the facility does not offer meals, breakfast vouchers are issued for a restaurant next door. My beans supplement was on offer but given the cafe style cool as a cucumber Chelsea area I was in I decided on the fruit, coffee and croissant mix.
Not much more I can say. A very good quality, very comfortable hotel/apartment facility that is in fact an apartment/hotel.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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