Bloomsbury by Viridian Apartments

The location is what you’re paying for here. Flat #2 at 33 Coptic St was clean and in a fantastic spot for Central London, but it isn’t luxury. I spent two weeks there for work and could manage the issues, though anyone with mobility problems, especially getting in and out of the shower, should skip it. There’s a lot of storage, a handy kitchenette, and a small fridge that worked well. No hob, but there’s a toaster oven, kettle, microwave, and plates, bowls, cutlery, glasses and cups. The TV had loads of channels, BBC iPlayer, Netflix and Apple TV. The dedicated Wifi station stayed reliable, there were plenty of plugs, and there’s a safe. The studio is small and long and narrow, like a railroad flat, which is to be expected in central London. There’s one opening window at the back, with no screen. It only opens fully or stays shut because it doesn’t work properly. I was glad to have it because the A/C was broken. The back window was filthy when I arrived. The bed was uncomfortable on what seemed to be an uneven frame. I managed, but it wasn’t good. With two people, one would probably roll onto the other. The shower had good pressure but was small and very slippery. I nearly fell getting out a few times. The toilet sits right in front of it, making access an obstacle course, and the bathroom isn’t safe for anyone with major mobility issues. The curtain is about 30 cm too short, so every shower soaked the toilet and floor. You only get a couple of towels a week, which made that a pain. The flat is on the ground floor, right by the street and building entrance. Ear plugs helped me sleep despite the noise. There are lots of bright track lights but no softer ones or lamp by the bed. There are empty bottle vases instead, so for reading or softer light you’d need to use the TV or buy a small lamp. They clean once a week and did a good job otherwise, but my kitchenette rubbish wasn’t taken out during the two weeks, perhaps by oversight. They’re stingy with towels, so bring extra. Management was slow to respond to issues. My colleague in #3 never got the building fob she was supposed to have on her key ring. She contacted them straight away, they said they’d get one quickly, and then we heard nothing for the rest of our two weeks. She had to rely on an inconvenient, hard-to-open lock box. My own lock box was mounted so high I struggled with it at 5'7", though I at least had a fob and key. I understand that accommodation and service expectations in the UK can be lower than in my home country, the USA, so I was able to roll with these problems. Still, the main draw is the location, and I wouldn’t recommend this flat if you have mobility issues.

The shower was very good for this place, and the location was the only other plus. The room was dusty, though. When we put our luggage on the wardrobe, about 3 cm of dust came off. There was no cleaning and not even an extra toilet roll, so we had to buy one. What we got was nowhere near the studio shown in the photos. I know studios vary, but the booking showed the one we chose, and it wasn’t the same. We expected a kitchen with a cooker, oven and normal kitchen equipment. There was only a sink and microwave. The listing also said there was a washing machine, but there wasn’t one. The bed wasn’t a double, more like a large single, and it was so soft that the lighter person slid towards the heavier one. We couldn’t sleep comfortably together. Wifi cut out every five minutes, the air conditioner didn’t work, and there were no windows we could open. We emailed to explain that the room didn’t match what we booked and lacked the listed things. They replied that it did. It felt like the photos were misleading.

Great location, plenty of space and a good price.