London - WHERE WE STAYED

It has been almost 3 months since our London trip.....so this is LONG overdue! :P

We arrived in London on 12 August 2010 at the Heathrow Airport. From the airport, we had to make our way to Paddington Station. Most people would just head for the Heathrow Express non-stop service to Paddington....at the cost of GBP16.50 (one-way) per person, the ride would take approx 15-20min on the express train.

We took the Heathrow Connect instead. For less than half the price of the express fare (GBP7.90), our ride only took 25min(!) and the train made stops at 5 intermediate stations before reaching Paddington. The Heathrow Connect runs every 30min interval while the Heathrow Express only runs every 1hr interval. So really, I don't see why anyone would pay so much more to ride the Heathrow Express.....well....

There are special baggage compartments on the Heathrow Connect.....our 2 very huge suitcases managed to fit just nicely!

It was a very comfortable ride on the Heathrow Connect.......and it was very empty too!

Paddington Station was bustling with activities when we arrived.

From Paddington Station, we took a very short cab ride (less than GBP5) to our accommodation check-in venue at Bayswater.

We had booked our London accommodation through http://www.london-house.com/

The price for the studio serviced apartment was too good to be true at less than GBP60/night! That worked great for us 'cos accommodation was the biggest part of our trip expense as we were in London for 2 whole weeks.

The apartment that we had booked was supposedly at Bayswater but there was some confusion during our check-in......anyway, long story short, we were given another studio apartment in Paddington instead and we were chauffeured there in a beemer limo. We weren't complaining 'cos we felt Paddington was a much better location.

Our serviced apartment was located at Talbot Square and it was called Lyngate Suites.....which was a very short walk to Paddington Station (fantastic!).

The building looked charmingly old.....our apartment was on the top floor of the building.

We were pleasantly surprised that the interior of the apartment looked quite updated. Let's just say that we weren't expecting a whole lot since we were only paying less than GBP60/night!

The bed was a tight fit (smaller than a queen size) but we managed just fine. There was no air-conditioning (a fan was provided) but the room was cool enough when we opened the windows.

The bathroom actually looked quite "posh" with the wall and floor tiles.

The kitchenette was really nice and well-equipped! All the cabinets and appliances looked very new. Pots, pans, plates/bowls, glasswares, cutlery & dishwashing supplies were all provided. Thoughtful!

And there was even a combo washer/dryer!!! WOW. And thank goodness for it, as I had to do my laundry 'cos I didn't bring enough clothes. Oh wait, there was also free WiFi...and we could check our emails and update our Facebook status on my little netbook!

Of course....not everything was perfect. The "serviced" apartment was only serviced twice in that 2 weeks we were there. And then, there was the issue of low water pressure. Unlike in our high-rise apartments in SG where the water pressure is actually higher at higher floors....the reverse is true in the old London buildings where the high floors would have very low water pressures. There were a couple of times when the water streams from the shower were reduced to as much as a trickle while I was bathing!

So apart from the 2 issues.....we were generally quite pleased with the accommodation in terms of the pricing, public transport accessibility (i.e. Paddington & Lancaster Gate stations and major bus routes), amenities (i.e. fast-foods, 24-hr grocery shops, restaurants/pubs etc.) as well as nearness to parks i.e. kensington gardens and hyde park. I wouldn't mind staying there again....but I'd know better to request for an apartment on the lower levels!