Homely – Central London West End Apartments

The location was the only good thing about our stay. We had a top-floor two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat, Flat four I think, and Homely hadn’t told us there was no lift. The climb to the fourth floor involved lots of spiral-type steps and was extremely hard. I’m fairly fit and healthy, but had to stop several times on the way up. It was exhausting, and we didn’t have much luggage. I can’t imagine doing it with heavy suitcases. There was a terrible rotten sewer smell in the bedroom, and the apartment needs attention to bring it to a clean, acceptable state of repair. We also had to pay a £250 deposit, which I think is far too much for a place like this. I wouldn’t stay here again.

I was left without accommodation after a disorganized and unprofessional process, and I absolutely don’t recommend Homely or listings run this way. I booked a property managed by Homely through Agoda. Only after the booking was confirmed did I learn about a €1500 deposit, which wasn’t mentioned in the listing. They would only take it by manual SWIFT bank transfer, but my check-in was the next day and the funds wouldn’t have arrived in time. I told Agoda, and they said they’d contact the host. For about 18 hours, neither Agoda nor I could reach anyone. Then the host messaged to say I couldn’t check in because I hadn’t paid, and wouldn’t get a refund either. I offered to pay in cash or by card, but had no way to contact the host directly. Shortly afterwards Agoda called to say the reservation had been canceled and my money would be refunded. Be careful.

The apartment felt like home surprisingly quickly, and I could easily imagine staying there for months. It worked really well for us as a couple with a child. We all slept soundly each night, even though I’d expected the area might be noisy. The views from the windows are lovely, and it’s very well placed for exploring, with buses and the metro close by. The team made booking and arrival easy, and went out of their way to help me get back a few things I’d accidentally left behind.

The location was very good, and the rest was okay, but getting our two large bags up nearly 50 steps to the second floor was hard. The spiral stairs are narrow, and there was no help at checkout when we asked. Water also ran slowly if we used it in one place. The high chairs felt wobbly and uncomfortable for dining, so be careful they don’t tip. We stayed in November 2022, and I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re bringing big bags.