- The Observer,
- Sunday October 29, 2000
'Fabulous three-bed apartment. Amazing location, within spitting distance of Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament. Contemporary designer interiors. Must be seen.'
Welcome to 51 Buckingham Gate and the secret world of the serviced apartment. The long limestone-floored hallway is gently lit, with doorways at regular intervals, leading into the living room - a huge space with tasteful art on the walls and oversized, comfy sofas in shades of cream, beige and aubergine. There is a master bedroom and two others with en suite bathrooms. The kitchen is fitted out in ultra-modern stainless steel.
The apartment was designed by Noel Pierce, whose portfolio of work includes The Dorchester and the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. He knows a thing or two about luxurious living. The bedlinen is made of the finest Egyptian cotton. The bathrooms are spacious, light and airy, with limestone floors and sleek Philippe Starck fittings - the sort you find in five-star hotels and fantasise about having in your own home.
But this is not a showflat for some grand new loft-style development. You are not being asked for a fat deposit to buy the place. You are simply being asked for £630 to spend the night, with as many of your closest family and friends as you like. You can cook dinner. You can even throw a party and invite everyone to stay over.
For an increasing number of travellers, hotels - even the poshest - are simply too much like, well, hotels. Some may be cosier than others. London's Covent Garden Hotel, for instance, is regularly a 'home from home' for stars, who love the fact that you can curl up with dinner in front of the fire in the upstairs lounge, topping up drinks all night from the honesty bar. Long-term guests have included Cate Blanchett, Ethan Hawke, Christina Ricci and Jessica Lange.
But for guests who are after total privacy, or simply a place where the whole family can stay without running up huge bills on room service and breakfast buffets, the Covent Garden Hotel has another option: Durley House on Sloane Street. This is where Americans such as Blaine Trump regularly book in. She treats it not so much as a hotel, but as a pied-à-terre - with maid service, private gardens, breakfast, fluffy towels and tennis courts all included. The house is decorated by co-owner, Kit Kemp, in an elegant, modern English style. There is even a piano suite which comes complete with its own baby grand, a favourite of the conductor, Zubin Mehta, when he's in town.
There are a surprising number of serviced apartments in London, ranging from the break-the-bank deluxe, to the basic and affordable. All are designed to have all the comforts of home - and add a maid, room service, and, in the case of 51 Buckingham Gate, your own butler if required.
Roy McKenzie set up in business last year, with londonservicedapartments.co.uk. He acts as an online agent, pairing up clients with their dream home - however temporary. 'I still think it's a secret, but a growing one,' he says. His list ranges from Citadine in London's Covent Garden, where a basic studio apartment for two will set you back just £102 per night (less if you stay for a week or more), to the seriously chic No 5 Maddox Street in Mayfair. No 5 calls itself 'the hotel alternative' . It has just 12 apartments, and offers guests not only a fashionably bamboo-floored Zen pad to call their own for as long as they like, but the option of 24-hour room service, a chef who will cook in your kitchen for you and your guests, personal grocery shopping, a visit from the Jet Lag clinic, and Muji bikes to cycle around the city. Prices range from £215 to £550 per night.
'The serviced apartment appeals to people at the economy end, who simply want to save on the cost of a hotel, to others who like the extra space and privacy, or the business traveller who wants to bring their family and lead a relatively normal life,' says McKenzie. He recently recommended 13 Half Moon Street in Mayfair for a film-production company in search of a traditional apartment with chandeliers. Not only is there a chandelier, there's enough room to swing on it too. And in the discreet world of the serviced apartment, no one would bat an eyelid.
51 Buckingham Gate
Luxury Suites and Apartments, London SW1
www.51-buckinghamgate.co.uk
phone 020 7769 7766.
Set in a beautiful Edwardian courtyard, the apartments were built in 1901 and recently refurbished by Noel Pierce. They are equipped with satellite TV, DVD players and luxury kitchens. Services include health spa, 24-hour room service, concierge and butler, trained by Ivor Spencer, who provides staff for Buckingham Palace. From £240 for a deluxe studio.
Durley House
115 Sloane Street, London SW1
www.firmdale.com
phone 020 7235 5537
Durley House is part of the Firmdale chain of boutique hotels owned by Kit and Tim Kemp. It offers a smart address, absolute luxury and privacy, as well as its own gardens and tennis courts. Durley House is offering special Christmas rates per night from 15 December to 15 January. One-bedroom suite £200 (usually from £250); piano suite £400 (usually from £480).
Athenaeum Hotel & Apartments
116 Piccadilly, London W1
020 7499 3464
www.athenaeumhotel.com
Next door to the grand Athenaeum Hotel in central London is a terrace of Edwardian townhouses for guests who want as little or as much hotel service as they choose. There is a twice-daily maid service and use of all the hotel facilities, including gym and spa, but, for the length of your visit at least, you can pretend that this refuge in the middle of Piccadilly is your home. Prices range from £395 per night for a studio suite, to £695 for the penthouse.
No 5 Maddox Street
Mayfair, London W1
020 7647 0200
email to no5maddoxst@living-rooms.co.uk
These apartments claim to balance 'the peace of the East with state-of-the-art technology, contemporary design and comfort'. There are just 12 apartments, and guests can cook for themselves in their own kitchens, invite a chef to do it for them, or use the 24-hour room service. For snacks and drinks, there are two mini bars, marked 'good' and 'bad' - one of which yields Yogi tea and herbal energy drinks and the other gin and Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Prices range from £215, to £385 per night.
Citadine
94-99 High Holborn, London WC1V
(central reservations, phone 020 7766 3800).
Basic, economy apartments but great central location close to Covent Garden and theatres. Prices start at £108 per night for a studio, to £159 for a four-person apartment.
13 Half Moon
Mayfair, London W1
www.no13halfmoonstreet.co.uk
Telephone 020 7409 0207
Ten traditional suites in a Georgian town house next door to the Flemings Mayfair Hotel but guests have their own entry to this 1730 listed building. The apartments all feature different decor, from High Regency to Louis XV. Prices start at £325 plus VAT per night.
Greengarden House
St Christopher's Place, London W1
020 7935 9191
Chintzy English decor. Very homely. Central location, close to Selfridges, and perfect for Christmas shopping sprees. One-bedroom suite from £175 per night.
• For a wide selection of serviced apartments in all price categories, visit www.londonservicedapartments.co.uk or www.apartmentservice.com
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