Two weekends ago I travelled back to the UK to attend the inaugural Youpreneur Summit (you can see my video here if you fancy a peek!). The summit took place at the QE2 Convention Centre and so I wanted to stay somewhere local to minimise the to and fro. Citadines Trafalgar Square offered to host myself and my wonderful friend Ceri who was also going to Youpreneur, which was perfect.
Citadines Prestige Trafalgar Square is in a great location, which was only around a ten minute walk from the venue. The Citadines apart’hotel chain offers serviced apartments in over 30 cities in Europe and Asia and has several locations in London.
Apartment Location
The Citadines Trafalgar Square property is in a great central location on Northumberland Avenue. It’s only a 5 minute walk to Trafalgar Square, as well as within walking distance to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, St James’ Park, and the National Portrait Gallery. Shopping wise it’s also close to Covent Garden and Oxford Street.
Being close to the River Thames means you have a great selection of bars, theatres, and restaurants of the Southbank Centre close by, as well as the London Eye (although we chose Five Guys two nights in a row… don’t judge!).
There are also two underground stations close by and various options for grocery shopping. I think it would be difficult to find a better located reasonably priced accommodation in central London.
First impression
From the outside the Citadines looked like a traditional London building, but inside the decor was warm and contemporary, with the traditional aspects of the building peeking through.
Reception was staffed with helpful staff and I was checked in early and quickly, which was much appreciated after around 8 hours of travelling and a 2 mile walk! (I thought a stroll might be nice!).
Accommodation
We were booked in a one bedroom apartment, which was modern, bright and surprisingly sizeable. We had a fully-equipped kitchen (it even had a teeny dishwasher!). If we had been that way inclined we could definitely have knocked up dinner in there, but we preferred to eat out.
Bedroom:
The bedroom was separate to the living room and kitchen, which I didn’t expect (being more used to studio type apartments or hotel rooms). This would have been great for a longer stay, especially if I had been with my family. The bedroom had a large wardrobe and a TV.
Living/kitchen space
Again the living room was a decent size and had a comfortable pull-out sofa. There was a desk area and a small but perfectly formed kitchen with all you could need to ensure a comfortable stay. There was also a second TV, which I immediately put on to get my fill of British TV!
In the room was a mobile phone to use during our stay, giving us free data and calls. The phone was loaded with handy tube maps and also gave access to discounts for local attractions. Such a great touch.
Bathrooms
Off the entrance hallway was a single toilet with hand basin and a separate (small but perfectly formed) bathroom with a bath and shower over the bath. I liked the separation and having two sinks in different rooms made getting ready in the morning much easier for both of us! There was a small sink over the toilet and when you flush the taps automatically turn on and run until the tank refills. What a great way to save water!
Amenities
The great thing about this apart’hotel is that although you have the facilities of an apartment and can create an experience which feels more like home, the staff were always on hand to help (and in our case to hand out plasters for our sore feet!). On the ground floor there’s a lounge with a TV and comfortable seating area. Next to this there is a breakfast room with breakfast available each morning. We had breakfast included in our stay.
Across from the lifts there’s a map of London which showed the attractions that were only a five to ten minute walk away from the apartment, which would have been very handy if I was staying with my family.
Breakfast
The breakfast selection on offer was great. No cooked option (English Breakfast), but plenty of other things to tickle your tastebuds. We tried out the awesome Waffle maker! There were plenty of hot options other than Waffles; porridge, eggs, and a large selection of sweet and savoury pastries. The breakfast staff were super helpful, especially when we couldn’t work the Waffle machine!
The quick low down
- The Citadines Trafalgar Square is located at 18/21 Northumberland Avenue.
- The Apart’hotel offers 187 air-conditioned apartments over 9 floors, including 126 Studios for 1 or 2 guests, 49 One-Bedroom apartments that sleep up to 4 guests and 12 Two-Bedroom Duplex apartments for up to 6 guests.
- Each apartment has a fully-equipped kitchen including stove, microwave, dishwasher (with washing products) and fridge.
- Charing Cross and Embankment underground stations are within a 5 minute walk of the hotel.
- Complimentary internet access.
- On-site car park.
- Breakfast room on the ground floor – charges apply.
- Launderette on-site – charges apply.
- Complimentary hot drinks to take away in Reception.
The Citadines Prestige Trafalgar Square is the perfect place to stay when visiting central London. I wouldn’t hesitate to book the Citadines again next time I’m back.
Disclosure: I received a two night stay at Citadines in return for sharing my honest thoughts.