City Living - Interlude House — Hotel in London

Long review alert? Just got back to the states 3 days ago. My wife and I stayed in Interlude House D for 6 days. There are pros and cons to this unit. If you have read any of the previous reviews, you will know the 2 major cons mentioned over and over, so I will get to that later.

PROS:

1. LOCATION: In the absolute heart of London. 1 minute walk from Covent Garden Tube station and Covent Garden Market, 7 minute walk to Chinatown, 10 minutes to Leicester Square. This could also be a con to those who do not like crowds and noise. We happen to like that environment. (Think of Times Square x’s 10 on the weekends.)

2. ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION: Doesn’t get any better. You can get anywhere in London via the Covent Garden tube station.

3. THE UNIT ITSELF: A big space for the money, especially in this location. It has been updated and modernized, and all-in-all they did a really nice refurbishment. Having a separate living space from the bedroom and bath was awesome. We traveled with friends that rented another single bed unit on the 1st floor and we were able to hang out in our unit when we got back from long London days. The WiFi in the unit was great. The A/C was great. The unit was super clean. Having a kitchen with a refrigerator was great. There is a single unit washer/dryer that I will discuss later. Plenty of towels and linens for 6 days.

CONS: Here is where I mentioned you will see a common theme with a couple of these.

1. STAIRS: This unit is actually on the 3rd floor of the building because the bottom floors in London are considered floor ZERO (0). So yes, there are a lot of stairs in a VERY narrow, very steep, stairwell to get to the unit. This building is not for people with mobility issues that need to use elevators (lifts). Based on previous reviews, we knew this going into it because we had read the reviews. So, we can’t complain about it, it is just an observation for those that might not know. I think you should expect this in London, especially in older buildings.

2. MATTRESSES: ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE! I had read the reviews prior and knew the mattresses were garbage. In response to those complaints, the management response was that they knew this was an issue and were in the process of replacing all of them. Here’s the rub, we had actually emailed the management prior to booking to see if they had been replaced because I have minor back issues. The answer was – “yes, they had been replaced.” So, we booked. Guess what??? If these are new mattresses, then City Living got ripped off. Like I had mentioned, we had 2 units rented between our two couples and both mattresses were the same. The best way to describe them is that they are like the mattresses that come with pull out sofa beds. You can literally feel the springs in your back. This IS NOT a “too soft for me” or a “too hard for my taste” issue, this is a MATRESS issue. Very hard to get good sleep on these after being in the city all day. Considered yourself warned.

3. Bed Itself: NOT A KING SIZE like advertised. This is a full size (Queen at best.) I am 6’3” and I always make sure that any place we stay has a king. The listing is not accurate and was highly disappointing.

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS:

1. Washer/Dryer Unit: If you come from the States, these units are challenging at best. We figured out how to wash clothes but could never figure out how to dry them. We would run what we thought was the dry cycle for 4 hours and could never get the clothes fully dry. We ended up putting them on a drying rack that was supplied. My suggestion would be to have instructions on how to use this washer/dryer for those of us that aren’t familiar.

2. Bathroom: Very small. I guess expected in an older building. Also, there is no outlet in the bathroom for a blow dryer, so had to use in the other room. The shower pressure was AMAZING!

So, would I stay here again??? Yes, if they actually changed the mattresses. Good luck and...

Our first attraction to this property was location. It has proximity to the theaters and it's just a block or two from the Covent Garden tube station. Lots of wonderful places to eat.||2023|Apartment D (suite w/ sofa bed and bedroom) is equipped with the basics. The windows are well insulated both for temperature and sound. And there's a/c and heat. You don't find that everywhere in London.||It was scrupulously clean. There is a dishwasher and multiple detergent tabs more than sufficient for our stay.||Interlude House made it possible to enjoy breakfast both in our pajamas and in a charming place just down the block. We discovered a delightful lunchtime only takeout place: Kastner and Oven. Take a right out the door and another right at the corner.||I am convinced that I have to go on a theater binge next year. And I hope to return to this property.||The one improvement I'd like to see is the replacement of the mattress or a memory foam topper.||That unit merits a 5 dot rating. ||Update:|2025-10-02|Unfortunately the suite units were unavailable. We stayed in Unit C. We still love the location and unit D. But we wouldn't want this unit again. ||Although two people can easily occupy this space, it's a much more limited experience. Bathroom sink is the only source of water and it's a tiny one. Requires scrupulous positioning when washing one's face. Overall, it's a cramped space. No counter space in there for anything. Place it in the vanity below. I pity a tall person's knees sitting on the toilet; the vanity is awfully close. Mini fridge but no microwave. (Operators made that clear when I asked before booking. No deception.) Hot water is plentiful. wifi is reliable.||This unit gets a 2 or 3 dot rating. ||Unit C is best suited to a young single or couple planning to eat out most of the time. Not so great for cosmetics influencer.||Bottom line: fabulous location. Especially for opera, theatre, ballet, dining, the Underground. Know which room type is...

Our first attraction to this property was location. It has proximity to the theaters and it's just a block or two from the Covent Garden tube station. Lots of wonderful places to eat.

2023 Apartment D (suite w/ sofa bed and bedroom) is equipped with the basics. The windows are well insulated both for temperature and sound. And there's a/c and heat. You don't find that everywhere in London.

It was scrupulously clean. There is a dishwasher and multiple detergent tabs more than sufficient for our stay.

Interlude House made it possible to enjoy breakfast both in our pajamas and in a charming place just down the block. (Black Penny). We discovered a delightful lunchtime only takeout place: Kastner and Oven. Take a right out the door and another right at the corner.

I am convinced that I have to go on a theater binge next year. And I hope to return to this property.

The one improvement I'd like to see is the replacement of the mattress or a memory foam topper.

Update: 2025-10-02 Unfortunately the suite units were unavailable. We stayed in Unit C. We still love the location and unit D. But we wouldn't want this unit again.

Although two people can easily occupy this space, it's a much more limited experience. Bathroom sink is the only source of water and it's a tiny one. Requires scrupulous positioning when washing one's face. Overall, it's a cramped space. No counter space in there for anything. Place it in the vanity below. I pity a tall person's knees sitting on the toilet; the vanity is awfully close. Mini fridge but no microwave. (Operators made that clear when I asked before booking. No deception.) Hot water is plentiful. wifi is reliable.

Unit C is best suited to a young single or couple planning to eat out most of the time. Not so great for cosmetics influencer.

Bottom line: fabulous location. Especially for opera, theatre, ballet, dining, the Underground. Know which room type is...