Fancy somewhere different to stay in London?

Hey, hotels aren’t for everybody and sometimes it is good to ring the changes, especially in London…..get it?  Bow Bells, St Paul’s etc,etc….OK moving on!

The Cheval Group is London’s market leader in luxury serviced apartments and their group of six properties offers a portfolio of 286 apartments, which are luxurious and equate in hotel terms to five-star and five-red-star accommodation.

Based in prime areas of London such as Knightsbridge, Kensington, Sloane Square and the City, the properties offer both long and short stays. 

All the apartments are spacious and include top-of-the-range, fully equipped kitchens featuring fine china, crockery, cutlery, dishwashers and washing machines. 

They also offer the ultimate in comfort and convenience with sophisticated security systems, satellite televisions, direct dial telephones, and maid service as standard. 

Three of the properties: Cheval Apartments in Knightsbridge, Phoenix House off Sloane Square, and Calico House in the City, offer a minimum stay of one week.

Located opposite Harrods and close to Harvey Nichols, Cheval Apartments offers a selection of townhouses, mews houses and apartments, making them perfect for families and friends wishing to travel together.  The properties at Cheval Apartments have been undergoing a major refurbishment over the past two years.  The most recent renovations were made to five three-bedroom apartments, located on Brompton Road.  Additionally, the mews houses and apartments at Montpelier Mews, and the town houses in Cheval Place were recently refurbished in a contemporary design.  The apartments on Cheval Place were opened in 1982/1983, and became the origin of the company name.

Phoenix House won the highly acclaimed Silver Award for the “Best Small London Hotel” in the prestigious Visit London Tourism Awards 2007.  It is a popular choice with the fashion set, being situated just off Sloane Street, home to the most famous names in design, such as Chloé, Gucci and Prada.  The modern interior is designed by Fox Linton, the designers of One Aldwych Hotel, and focuses on classic clean simple lines.  Bang & Olufsen televisions on motorised stands with built-in DVDs, CD players with Bose speakers, and wireless broadband internet connections are available in every apartment.  Luxurious goose down duvets, Frette satin/cotton sheets, Aveda toiletries and organic welcome hampers all come as standard.  Phoenix House’s restaurant, Le Cercle, is operated by Pascal Aussignac and Vincent Labeyrie of Club Gascon.

In a quiet courtyard just off cobbled Bow Lane, with its superb choice of boutiques and restaurants, Calico House is the perfect base from which to explore many of London’s tourist attractions such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern and the Millennium Bridge.  Its setting in the heart of the City also makes it an excellent location for those on business.  Calico House offers a selection of one and two bedroom apartments, including two luxurious two-bedroom penthouses, which overlook St Paul’s Cathedral.    Each of the contemporary style apartments are fitted with top-of-the-range kitchens, making Calico House the ideal home-from-home.

For longer visits, Hyde Park Gate and Gloucester Park offer a minimum of 90-day stays, while Thorney Court is available for a minimum of three weeks.

Built in 1864, Hyde Park Gate luxury serviced apartments are the most prestigious in the Capital.  The property consists of three imposing Victorian houses overlooking Kensington Gardens, minutes from The Royal Albert Hall.  During its original restoration, which was overseen by English Heritage, meticulous attention was paid to every detail of this fine building, from the reproductions of original floor tiles and intricate plaster mouldings, to the selection of period furnishings. Hyde Park Gate has recently undertaken a further multi-million pound refurbishment, which was completed in January 2008.  The new design is elegant, classic and traditionally English.  The apartments also boast the latest state-of-the-art lifestyle technology.

Gloucester Park has been awarded five stars in the Visit Britain assessment scheme for its outstanding facilities, on-site management, interior design, cleanliness and amenities.  In 2006, Gloucester Park, which is located in the heart of Kensington, completed an extensive four-year refurbishment programme.  This included a total redesign of all 100 of the luxury apartments at the property, as well as the public areas.  The brand new four-bedroom penthouse apartment, which has a unique cutting-edge design, was completed in July 2006.  Since opening in 1992, Gloucester Park has built an excellent reputation for its discreet and efficient service.  All of the apartments are spacious and airy with floor-to-ceiling windows.  They also have private balconies overlooking the properties’ own secluded garden, creating an environment in which to relax away from the bustle of the city. 

Overlooking Kensington Gardens, Thorney Court’s classic English-style interiors, carefully selected artwork, china, and crystal glassware create a sophisticated environment.  The apartments have en-suite bathrooms in every bedroom, as well as separate guest cloakrooms.  Many of the apartments have spectacular views of both the park and Kensington Palace.  Thorney Court provides the ultimate in comfort and convenience with its unrivalled levels of service and quality.  

The Cheval Group, which is privately owned and operated, has over 25 years of experience in providing luxury serviced apartments.  Prices start from £805 per week for a studio apartment and rise to £5,750 per week for a four bedroom penthouse. 

For more information visit: www.chevalgroup.com

A Report by The Mole